KUALA LUMPUR: Women should undergo regular breast cancer screening for early detection, following reports that more than 50% of breast cancer cases in Malaysia are diagnosed at stages three and four, says Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
She said early detection was crucial as the survival rate could reach 90% when the disease was detected at an early stage, such as stages one and two.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is wife of the Prime Minister, said fear of screening and the stigma surrounding cancer had discouraged some women from undergoing regular checks.
“Do not leave it until it is too late. Our culture may not always encourage us to get screened. Self-examination is important, but we often overlook it,” she said at the Madani Health Carnival yesterday, Bernama reported.
Dr Wan Azizah described the situation as worrying, with data from the Malaysian National Cancer Registry showing that breast cancer cases rose from 18,206 between 2007 and 2011 to 29,534 between 2017 and 2021.
She said the Health Ministry had implemented various strategies covering prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment support to address breast cancer.
She said the National Population and Family Development Board also provides subsidised mammogram programmes for eligible women, including free mammogram screenings for Malaysian women aged 40 to 70 from households earning less than RM10,000 a month.
