- According to estimates, there are about 90-100,000 people in Malaysia living with cancer at any one time.
- The National Cancer Registry of Malaysia (NCR) records 21,773 Malaysians being diagnosed with cancer but estimates that almost 10,000 cases are unregistered every year.
- It is estimated that one in four Malaysians (1:4) will develop cancer by 75 years old.
- Increasing population and longer life spans contributes to rise of cancer. Less than 10% of cancers happen in children compared to over 50% in men and 35% in women aged 50 and above.
- Cancer occurs more in females than males with a ratio of male to female 1:1.2
- The cancer incidence out of 100,000 people are:
- 4,058 Malay males and 4,753 Malay females are diagnosed with cancer
- 4,078 Chinese males and 4,422 Chinese females are diagnosed with cancer
- 629 Indian males and 1065 Indian females are diagnosed with cancer
The top 5 cancers affecting both male and female in Malaysia are:
- Breast
- Colorectal (bowel)
- Lung
- Cervical
- Nasopharyngeal
- Although cancer is considered the 3rd leading cause of premature death in Malaysia, it has been found that only 30-40% of all deaths occuring due to cancer are medically certified – thus meaning that there is no exact number to show that people are dying from cancer mainly.
- Findings show that 10.3% of Malaysians are at a risk of dying from cancer before the age of 75. (Globocan, 2008)
- Cancer is slowly becoming a leading cause of death – avoidable risk factors such as tobacco and smoking, alcohol, poor diet, poor lifestyle, inadequate exercise or being overweight contribute to this.
- It is estimated that nearly 40% of all cancers are preventable, including lung, colorectal, and cervical cancers, with smaller effects in breast and nasopharyngeal cancer.
- Improvement in early detection and treatment leads to better survival rates for people with cancer.
Content credit: National Cancer Society Malaysia
by Qian
Qian's interest in healthcare industry came about after her father was diagnosed with bladder cancer. This experience has led her to become a strong believer in empowering individuals to take charge of their own health. View all articles by Qian.
