ONE in two people in this region die from cancer every year and the number is expected to rise by 2020. So where better to carry out the next generation of cancer research than here in Asia.

Singapore is pumping in $256 million over the next seven years to shore up research into the Number One killer here.

A research centre of excellence in cancer has just been set up, with $172 million coming from the Education Ministry and the National Research Foundation (NRF), a high-powered department in the Prime Minister's Office to drive science and technology research and development here.

The aim of the centre is to fast track cancer research here and transform scientific discoveries more quickly into cure for patients and to feed clinical information back to scientists to drive their research.

A particular focus will be on types of cancers more common among Asians than Caucasians, Asian versions of common cancers and Asian responses to treatment.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, chairman of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council, on Friday said the focus will be on 'the cancers which are here, how they manifest themselves differently in different ethnic groups. how to study them, to treat them, to make a contribution where we have an advantage, located in Asia, compared to other cancer centres around the world'.

He said this at a press conference to wrap up the Council's three-day meeting on Singapore's research direction.

Council members lauded the setting up of the cancer centre.

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.