Associate Professor Thomas Loh

Leader, Head & Neck Oncology Tumour Group, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore Head and Senior Consultant, Department of Otolaryngology, National University Hospital Associate Professor, Department of Otolaryngology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS

A/Prof Thomas Loh graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, National University of Singapore. He underwent residency in Otolaryngology at the National University Hospital and subsequently trained in Head and Neck Cancer Surgery at the Princess Margaret Hospital and Toronto General Hospital in Canada. He is currently a Senior Consultant in Otolaryngology, with his practice mainly in Head and Neck Oncology. A/Prof Loh sees mainly patients with head and neck cancers. His practice is in patients with cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, thyroid and other sites. The majority of his cancer patients have nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the most common head and neck cancer in Singapore. He leads the Head and Neck Tumour Board, where radiation and medical oncologists together with surgical oncologists decide on the stage and the treatment for the cancer patients. A/Prof Loh performs surgery of the thyroid gland and parotid salivary gland and other major complicated surgery to treat cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx. Where it is suitable, he also treats cancer of the larynx using laser surgery. He also performs highly complicated tumours of the anterior skull base, or tumours at the junction just below the brain. A/Prof Loh is the Chief of Department and leads a large group of specialists as well as research staff in the Department. He also mentors a constant stream of elective students from overseas ranging from Australia to England, Netherlands and Germany just to name a few. He is a member of the Specialist Training Committee that oversees the Otolaryngology speciality in Singapore. He was awarded the Yong Yoo Lin School of Medicine Faculty Teaching Excellence Award and the NUS University Teaching Excellence Award in 2006 in recognition of his contribution to medical undergraduate teaching in NUS. A/Prof Loh is also active in research. His main research is in the area of early diagnosis on NPC. He is the current Principle Investigator of 3 grants and a key collaborator in at least another 10 other concurrent studies. His research is focused on a screening programme for first-degree relatives of NPC patients.

Education and Fellowships

MBBS FRCS

Specialty Interests

Head & Neck cancers and Thyroid surgery

Awards and Honours

• Faculty Teaching Excellence Award 2005-2006, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS
• Academic Teaching Excellence Award 2005-2006, NUS

Selected Publications

1. Loh KS, Barker E, Bruch G, O'Sullivan B, Brown DH, Goldstein DP, Gilbert RW, Gullane PJ, Irish JC. Prognostic factors in malignancy of the minor salivary glands. Head Neck. 2008 Oct 13.
2. Loh KS, Lim CM, They J, Chao SS, Lim LH, Tan LK, "Role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the evaluation of parotid tumours". Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery, 77, no. 9 (2007): 742-744. (Australia). Publication no. 0351175
3. Loh KS, "Early experience in free tissue transfer in the reconstruction of head and neck defects". Singapore Medical Journal, 48, no. 7 (2007): 652-655. (Singapore). Publication no. 0348558
4. Loh KS, "Familial nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a cohort of 200 patients". Archives of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, 132 (2006). (United States). Publication no. 0347592
5. Loh KS, "The role of CT thorax in head and neck cancer: a prospective cohort study". Head & Neck Surgery, 27 (2006). (United States). Publication no. 0347591