About Us

AARO is a group of radiation oncologists, headed by Dr Daniel Tan, with wide ranging experience in private and public institutions. Their experience includes more than twelve years of working experience and eight years as leading Radiation Oncologists at the National Cancer Center Singapore (NCCS), where they pioneered and setup stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) programs for various cancers in Singapore. These treatments have since received widespread adoption and benefited patients, both locally and internationally

Armed with overseas training and experience in advanced radiation therapy techniques, AARO set out to establish Singapore’s first independent sub-specialty focused radiation oncology private practice. Hitherto, radiation oncology in the private sector had always been provided by 1 general radiation oncologist employed by medical oncology groups to man the radiation center and deliver radiation treatments as required by their referrers. Seeing the huge gap between international academic centers where sub-specialty focused radiation oncology was practiced in keeping with increased complexity of oncology management and advanced radiotherapy, and the supposedly premier oncology care the private sector was providing for its local and regional patients, they set out on a mission to change the private radiation oncology landscape in 2015.

To date, AARO’s radiation oncologists continue to provide their expertise and services within the private sector facilities: Parkway Hospitals, Farrer Park Hospital, Mt Alvernia Hospital and its own facility AARO@Adam as well as on the international scene.

Additionally, AARO doctors also provides oncology management and consulting services in collaboration with leading global cancer institutions such as the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of the America’s leading radiation oncology programs and MD Anderson Cancer Center, a recognized global leader in cancer care and innovation. These institutions serve as reference for global clinical standards, which are internalized by AARO staff and adapted for local application and context for its regional and local oncology centers.

AARO was appointed as a project consultant for the retrofitting of a 15,000sf used car showroom to an outpatient integrated oncology centre consisting of an outpatient medical oncology center, radiology centre comprising MRI, CT scan, MMG, Ultrasound, and 1 TrueBeam LINAC.
Project development process was completed as a turnkey, including hiring and organization of the local team before handover after successful go-live of the center. Phase 2 involved training and implementation of clinical workflows, treatment protocols and quality management program as per UPMC standards for both medical and radiation oncology. The center passed UPMC assessment in August 2017 and was qualified to use co-branding tagline ‘in collaboration with UPMC’ for the Russian market. Phase 3 involves ongoing engagement in radiotherapy plan reviews, oncology consultations as well as further development of the center’s oncology program

Together with UPMC, AARO conducted a review of existing workflow and competency, and developed a training plan to close the gaps as the hospital’s oncology department was procuring new radiation equipment with IMRT capabilities and needed to improve staff competency to implement new clinical services.

Over a course of 2 years, with regular engagements with AARO doctors and radiation therapists, Pinlon Cancer Center was able to adapt new clinical workflows, implement international treatment protocols for different disease sites, and establish quality assurance processes as a result of the constant training and development efforts. The hospital is now able to conduct IMRT treatments routinely and is the only hospital in Myanmar with these competencies.

Together with Asia American Medical Group (AAMG), AARO conceptualized and presented to His Majesty the Sultan of Johor plans for a comprehensive cancer centre to be based in Iskandar Malaysia in Johor Bahru in memory of his late son to provide quality and affordable cancer care for Malaysians. AARO is part of the workgroup which formulated the scope of this project, starting from a service line and business plan, which led to medical planning and facility design together with the architects, leading to a finalized budget based on construction, capex and opex requirements.
The purchase of the land was completed in early 2018 and the Sultan of Johor made the announcement of the development of this center in Apr 2018. Construction of the center is due to start in 2019.

AARO was appointed after successful completion of accreditation in Singapore to review clinical workflows, treatment protocols, and quality assurance programs for Concord Medical Services’ recently acquired Outpatient Cancer Treatment Center, formally known as ‘Promed Shanghai’.

Regular engagements are ongoing with the center’s leadership and clinical team to localize MD Anderson’s practices and protocols within the China healthcare setting in order for the center’s eventual assessment and accreditation.