Dr David Tan Boon Harn is a Senior Consultant Radiation Oncologist . He has more than 15 years of clinical experience and specializes in the treatment of Gastrointestinal cancers (Oesophagus, Stomach & Colorectal), Gynaecological Cancers (Cervix, Uterus & Ovarian), Lung cancers, and Hepatobiliary cancers (Liver, Pancreas & Gallbladder).
Dr. Tan graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2005 and commenced training in Radiation Oncology at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) in 2007. In 2011, Dr. Tan received the Health and Manpower Development (HMDP) Award for Advanced Training in Clinical Oncology in Mount Vernon Cancer Cancer in Middlesex, UK. There he obtained advanced training in general oncology and further subspecialized in the above tumour sites. He also trained in stereotactic radiosurgery and brachytherapy. He obtained his Fellowship in Clinical Oncology from the Royal College of Radiologists in the UK (FRCR) in 2013 and was admitted as a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore (FAMS) in Radiation Oncology in 2014.
He focuses on the use of advanced technologies to treat cancer. His clinical expertise is in the use of stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SRS/SBRT), a targeted and ablative radiation treatment to treat primary and metastatic tumours in limited sessions. Dr Tan is dual-trained in Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy, including with modern radiation technologies including 3D conformal external beam radiotherapy (3D-CRT), Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), Volumetric Arc Therapy (VMAT), Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), Deep Inspiration Breath Hold Radiotherapy, Gynaecology (cervix and endometrium) image-guided brachytherapy.
Prior to being in private practice, Dr. Tan was a Consultant Radiation Oncologist at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). During his 10 years of service in the public sector, he was responsible for setting up the Liver and Pancreas SBRT programs, and oversaw their development from protocol development to patient enrolment and subsequently to treatment of increasingly complex cases such as multiple liver metastases and portal vein thrombosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Dr. Tan is the Singapore National Project Coordinator for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regional Project 6085, which aims to Enhance Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Frequent Cancers in the Asia-Pacific Region. After establishing Singapore as one of the regional training hubs in Asia- Pacific, Dr. Tan conducted the first regional training course of the project in NCCS in 2016, which was attended by participants from 17 member states. He is also council member of the Federation of Asian Organizations for Radiation Oncology (FARO), which is a non-profit scientific organization comprising national radiation oncology societies in Asia to improve the level of radiotherapy in the region. On the local front, Dr. Tan serves as Chair of the Radiation Oncology Sub-section of the Singapore Radiological Society (SRS).
A kind, patient and compassionate oncologist, Dr Tan takes time to understand the patient’s condition and personal needs. Armed with his technical expertise, and the latest scientific evidence, Dr Tan is able to offer customized treatment plans based on the individual patients’ condition to achieve the best possible outcomes.