Government Expects Higher Demand For Cancer Treatment

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- The government foresees higher demand for cancer treatment and supportive care in the years ahead, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Thursday.
He said cancer cases are rising steadily and health-conscious Malaysians are becoming more aware of the killer ailment and treatment available to them.
"I am pleased to say the government has been giving and will continue to provide a great deal of emphasis, encouragement and support to the expansion and upgrading of medical services for cancer," he said when opening the First Kuala Lumpur International Breast and Colorectal Cancer Congress.
He said the country's first 252-bed National Cancer Institute, to be built in Putrajaya, was at advanced stage of planning and would get off the ground soon.
According to the 2002 First National Cancer Registry Report, Dr Chua said there are about 40,000 new cancer cases every year and one in four Malaysians risks the chance of contracting cancer in his or her life-time.
The report also noted that Malaysia has the world's highest rate of throat cancer for females and second highest rate for the same cancer among males.
Malaysian Indians also have the highest rate of laryngeal cancer (lump in the neck) in Asia.
According to the 2003 Second National Cancer Registry Report, colorectal cancer accounted for 14.2 per cent of male cancers, topped the list of male cancers, followed by lung (13.8 per cent) and throat (8.8 per cent).
In Malaysian women, colorectal cancer comes in third (10.1 per cent) after breast (31 per cent) and cervical cancer (12.9 per cent).
With the growing cancer burden, he said, the nation would be focusing on development, implementation and monitoring of cancer-control programmes, covering primary prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care facilities.