Materia Medica Malaysiana

Malaysian women have one-in-19 chance of getting breast cancer

A Malaysian woman has a one-in-19 chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime if no other causes of mortality are in operation throughout her life.

However, what is more worrying is that many Malaysian women tend to seek traditional remedies for the disease and only turn to the hospital when it is too late.

“It is a common trend that almost all the (cancer) patients we see go for herbal or traditional treatment first before coming to us, and by then it is sometimes too late,” said Dr Hisham Abdullah, head of the Endocrine Department at Putrajaya Hospital.

“We are not against traditional medicine (practitioners) but if they have a magic bullet to treat (cancer), then come forward and share it with us. We can put it on trial and do some research.”

He told reporters this after the launching of the ‘Avon Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer Campaign’ and the handing over of an ultrasound machine to Hospital Putrajaya which was officiated by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek yesterday.

According to Malaysia’s first National Cancer Registry Report in 2002, breast cancer accounted for 30.4 per cent of the 4,337 cancer cases among Malaysian women of all ethnic and age groups beyond the age of 20, making it the commonest type of cancer among women.

A recent report in the World Journal of Surgery also showed that breast cancer in Malaysian women occurs more commonly in younger women aged 40 to 49 compared with Western women who develop it when they are 50 to 59.

Dr Hisham said the incidence of breast cancer among the younger group was high and studies were being done to determine the cause, apart from genetic factors.

“There are a lot of possibilities and some research is being done to look into this,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Dr Chua said that according to the Penang Cancer Registry, only 15.4 per cent of breast cancer patients go early for medical treatment, unlike in the West, where almost 75 per cent seek early treatment.

“It is likely that a negative socio-cultural perception of breast cancer, and strong belief in traditional medicine in developing countries have contributed to this delay in seeking treatment at hospitals and clinics,” he said.

He said many Malaysian women do not practise breast self-examination and a survey by the Ministry in 1996 showed that only a third of women practised self-examination or had their breasts examined by health care providers.

“This figure is low compared to the proposed rate of over 60 per cent that would be necessary for a significant lowering of morbidity and mortality from breast cancer,” said Dr Chua.

Women above 20 are advised to perform breast self-examination regularly while those above 30 are advised to get an annual breast examination by health care providers.

However, a limited study by the National Population and Family Development Board in its clinics in 2002 found that 89 per cent of the respondents did breast self-examination.

“Let us hope this is reflective of the trend nationwide,” said Dr Chua, stressing that women should use the services of the breast clinics in all State hospitals as well as the district hospitals in Muar, Kluang and Taiping.

The RM250,000 Medison Sonace ultrasound scanner donated by Avon Malaysia helps to detect lumps in a patient’s breast upon which further examination can be done using the Mammotome Breast Biopsy System which the company also donated to the hospital last year.

The funds for the purchase of the ultrasound scanner was raised through the sale of Avon’s Pink Ribbon Pin and Woman of Earth Purse Concentre.

Also present were Putrajaya Hospital director Dr Abu Bakar Mohamud, Avon Malaysia president Mansoor Wan Abdullah and Avon’s Celebrity spokesperson Erra Fazira.