PUTRAJAYA, Oct 16 — As much as 12 per cent of the deaths reported in government hospitals annually are due to cancer, which is also one of five leading causes of death in Malaysia.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said last year alone, the government spent RM100 million to buy drugs to treat cancer patients in government hospitals.
He said breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, nose cancer, lymphoma cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer continued to be a cause for concern among Malaysians.
Although the government spent millions of ringgit in providing facilities, including the best treatment centres to treat the disease, Dr Subramaniam stressed that public awareness was more important to detect and prevent the disease at an early stage.
“We have a service system and facilities in government and private hospitals. We hope Malaysians have a high awareness of the disease and go for screening to detect the disease at an early stage,” he said at a press conference here today.
He urged the public not to miss the opportunity to attend free screenings, campaigns and forums on cancer which would be conducted nationwide, in conjunction with the month of October being Cancer Awareness Month.
According to the ministry’s report, 40,000 new cancer cases are recorded every year.
The World Health Organisation reported that cancer caused the death of more than six million men and women in 2000. — Bernama