.JPG "Malaysian Oncological Society president, Dr. Matin Mellor Abdullah, speaks to Malay Mail during an interview at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre on January 22, 2020. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Miera Zulyanann")
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — While everybody knows what day February 14 is, not many even know that today is World Cancer Day (WCD).
In Malaysia, doctors, medical specialists and experts on cancer will come together this year on a nationwide scale to offer free consultation to the public, as well as preventive and screening measures.
But one might ask why there is a need for such an event.
According to programme organising chairman and cancer specialist Dr Matin Mellor Abdullah, cancer awareness is still low among Malaysians, particularly those in the bottom 40 (B40) group.
“Those who fall under the B40 category, they have their focus on different things, like ensuring there is food on the table for their next meal.
“This isn’t something they think about,” he told Malay Mail.
While cancer cannot be prevented totally, Dr Matin said it does not mean people do not need to equip themselves with sufficient knowledge on cancer.
“Low awareness could be one of the reasons, but at the same time, there are certain cancer strains which can only be detected at a later stage.
“But that said, the public needs to understand there are many causes of cancer and that it is no longer something incurable,” he said.
According to the latest National Cancer Registry Report 2012-2016 released by the National Cancer Institute on January 3, Dr Matin said there is an increase in the number of stage four cancer cases.
Advanced stage cancer cases have been found to have increased from 58.7 per cent for 2007 to 2011 to 63.7 per cent for 2012 to 2016.
However, he said this was not necessarily a direct reflection of a rise in cases caused by low awareness among Malaysians.
As part of the efforts to educate the B40, Dr Matin who is also president of the Malaysian Oncological Society (MOS) said he believes cancer education should start from school.
“I think we need to get all this information to the schools.
“We are working towards that now, with a group called War On Cancer. But eventually, we will need to speak to the Education Ministry on how best to do this.
“We identified this, as education is the most basic need across all walks of life, and this also applies to the B40 group. I believe this is one way we can reach out to the public who are in that group,” he added.
Based on the theme of the WCD 2019-2021 “I am and I will,” specialists, experts and activists are calling on all individuals, companies or organisations, private or public to pledge action to rid the world of cancer.
“The event this year aims to raise public awareness and literacy about cancer, not just for the B40, but Malaysians across the board.
“How can we help the public understand cancer better and what are the kinds of common health risks that would eventually lead to cancer,” he said.
He added that the WCD this year would also be revisiting prevention and early detection, stressing that a significant proportion of cancer can be prevented and those detected early by screening measures have a better chance at a curative outcome.
When asked about what else is lacking in addressing cancer, Dr Matin said there was a need for the government to spend more on cancer treatment infrastructure.
Currently, he said, while there are available treatments, these are not necessarily accessible.
“For example, when it comes to treatment of cancer, it is best for a patient to be treated near home, close to family support.
“But right now you have people from Sabah flying in to Kuala Lumpur and all that. It is not cost efficient and stresses out the patient.
“There is a need to increase more cancer centres in major cities like Kuantan, Ipoh and many more,” he said.
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Meanwhile, he also raised the concern about Malaysia’s lack of oncologists.
For Malaysia’s population of slightly over 32 million, Dr Matin said, the ideal ratio would be 10 oncologists per one million people, but currently, there are only 114 oncologists nationwide.
One of the reasons is that it takes time to train an oncologist, and at the same time there are limited institutions which offer oncology training programmes, he said.
Not denying that oncology is viewed as a morbid field of study, he however pointed out that it is a field where advancement in medicine is best portrayed.
“The survival of cancer patients is much higher today compared to before. A lung cancer patient can live five to 10 years longer, which was never seen in the past.
“It is also not just about the knowledge of the cancer, but corresponding treatments assigned for the specific cancer has also improved,” he said.
Having been in the field for more than 30 years, it is his hope to see several changes happen in Malaysia to improve the situation of addressing cancer.
“Firstly, I want to see smoking stopped altogether. I’d like more parks to be built, so that people can exercise.
“One needs to understand that one of the root causes of cancer is obesity. People need to understand that being fat is not good.
“So, I also hope that Malaysia can be taken off the list of being the most obese country in South-east Asia,” he said.
Dr Matin said while there is 100 per cent proof that one’s diet influences cancer risk, it is good to eat in moderation, or go back to basics.
“It is easier said than done, but we need to try to help people understand why they should watch their diet and why they should exercise,” he said.
The one-day event in collaboration with the Health Ministry will be held at the KL Sentral arrival hall with participants including National Cancer Society (NCSM), Pertubuhan Pembangunan Kendiri Wanita an Gadis (Women:girls), Hepatitis Free Malaysia (HFM), Breast Cancer Welfare Association (BCWA), and the National Cancer Council (Makna), among others.
Health checks will include ultrasound scans, sugar level, blood test, low dosage CT Scan, blood pressure and more. Free vouchers for screening will also be distributed at selected booths.
