Minimising the risk of cancer

EVERY year, Feb 4 is observed as World Cancer Day to promote awareness about cancer and to highlight the importance of its prevention, early detection and treatment. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) data, globally, 19,292,789 new cases of cancer were registered in 2020, and 9,958,133 patients lost their lives to the disease.

Despite advances in the medical sciences, cancer kills a substantial number of people each year – nearly equivalent to Sweden’s whole population, more than 10 million people. Globally, cancer is the second leading cause of death. Malaysia is a relatively small country. However, 48,639 new cases of cancer and 29,530 cancer-mediated deaths were reported from Malaysia in 2020.