Strong support for cancer plan

Star: Cancer welfare associations and surviving patients have come out in full support of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s personal mission to seek cheaper treatment for Malaysian patients, saying reducing costs should be the first of many other steps.
The best way to counter cancer would still be prevention, early detection and early treatment, they said.
National Cancer Society of Malaysia executive director Dr Saunthari Somasundaram said the ideal long-term solution would be the formulation of a national cancer plan that addressed all cancer issues, from prevention and early detection, to treatment, supportive and palliative care.
Echoing the view were Hospis Malaysia CEO and medical director Dr Ednin Hamzah, Breast Cancer Welfare Association and Malaysian Breast Council president Ranjit Kaur and Malaysian Oncology Society president Dr Gurcharan Singh.
Dr Ednin said Pak Lah’s suggestion should be further worked on. The Prime Minister, who lost his wife Datin Seri Paduka Endon Mahmood to breast cancer last week, had vowed on Monday to work to reduce cancer treatment costs.
“What we need are more specialists to increase accessibility and more ground-level knowledge on cancer. Most of the patients are diagnosed at very late stages. Reducing costs have to be a part of a whole programme,” said Dr Ednin.
Ranjit Kaur suggested that the Government address the issue in three ways – give doctors better benefits to encourage them to serve in Government hospitals, ensure that cancer treatment is made more accessible, ensure post-treatment quality of life, and educate the public on preventive methods.
Dr Gurcharan Singh said that based on Malaysia’s population, the World Health Organisation had suggested that there be at least 100 oncologists.
Malaysia presently has 38 oncologists, with over 20 of them attached with private hospitals.
”Besides the costs of treatment, we are also lacking specialists in the field. For existing patients, we need to improve in efficacy and reduce side effects. The lesser the side effects, the more expensive the medication,” Dr Gurcharan Singh said.
Breast cancer patients Betty Ann Gomes, 43, and Jackie Soon, 53, described Abdullah’s remarks as timely.
“I have spent RM40,000 so far for my treatment, and I still need to go for follow-ups which will cost me RM600 for a three-month supply of drugs,” said Gomes, who quit her job as an operations manager after she was diagnosed with the illness in July 2003.
Soon, a businesswoman, said treatment costs were presently too expensive.
“The biopsy cost me RM1,450, and mastectomy RM4,800. I was quoted RM2,000 for each chemotherapy treatment at a private hospital,” said Soon.
According to the National Cancer Registry, about 40,000 Malaysians develop cancer every year.