KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (Bernama) -- Cancer continues to rise as a chronic disease, standing as the second leading cause of death globally (9.7 million cases) in 2022. In Malaysia, cancer has ascended to the third most common cause of death (15.2 thousand cases) in 2022, moving up from the fourth position in 2021. Updated cancer data in Malaysia is crucial for steering, planning, and implementing more effective measures for cancer prevention, control, and treatment.

To achieve this goal, Malaysia National Cancer Registry (MNCR) was established in 2007, initially relying on manual reporting. Over the period from 2007 to 2018, two (2) five-year reports were published to illustrate the cancer burden in Malaysia. In 2018, the introduction of online cancer case reporting through the Malaysian Health Data Warehouse website streamlined data collection processes. Additionally, a circular in 2020 mandated online cancer notifications, leading to substantial increase in the reported cases to the MNCR. 

Following these developments, the National Cancer Registry at Institut Kanser Negara (National Cancer Institute) has successfully published the third 5-year report titled “Summary of the Malaysia National Cancer Registry Report 2017-2021” in e-book format. This e-book provides a comprehensive review of the cancer burden highlighting trends in cancer incidence in Malaysia. It builds upon the earlier “Summary of the Malaysia National Cancer Registry Report 2012-2016”.

From 2017 to 2021, the 10 most commonly diagnosed types of cancer among Malaysians, ranked by proportion were breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, liver cancer, prostate cancer, leukaemia, nasopharyngeal cancer, uterine corpus cancer and ovarian cancer. Analysis by gender reveals that colorectal cancer recorded the highest cancer incidence among men, followed by lung cancer and prostate cancer. Among women, breast cancer had the highest incidence, followed by colorectal cancer and lung cancer.

It is noteworthy that a positive trend in cervical cancer incidence in Malaysia is observed consistently decreasing from 7.6 per 100,000 women in 2007-2011, to 6.2 per 100,000 women in 2012-2016, and further down to 6.0 per 100,000 women in 2017-2021. The effort to combat cervical cancer in Malaysia began with the introduction of pap smear screening in 1969, followed by its availability for free in government health facilities nationwide starting in 1998. The Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) has also adopted the self-sampling method using the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) detection kit as part of its efforts towards cervical cancer elimination. The collaborative efforts of various stakeholders, including MOH, community representatives, universities, private healthcare facilities, and non governmental organizations, have been valuable. According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey, pap smear screening coverage among women aged between 30 to 65 years old expanded from 23.1% in 2019 to 43.2% in 2023. These efforts reflect significant progress in raising awareness and enhancing access to cervical cancer screening services, effectively contributing to the decline in its incidence. The MOH also foresees a sustained reduction in cervical cancer cases as the generation vaccinated against HPV, matures in the future years.

However, the percentage of cancer cases detected at stage 3 and 4 has increased to 65.1 percent in 2017-2021 from 63.7 percent in 2012-2016. This trend is concerning, as highlighted in the 'Malaysian Study on Cancer Survival' published in October 2018, which underscored lower survival rates with delayed cancer detection. Therefore, fostering a multi-stakeholder collaboration is crucial to identify opportunities for enhancing community awareness and access to early detection and treatment.

In general, Malaysia witnessed a notable increase in cancer cases reported from 2017 to 2021, partly due to the implementation of the new notification system and circular directive. Despite this, Malaysia continues to grapple with a substantial cancer burden. Hence, it is important for stakeholders to actively engage in cancer prevention, control, and treatment by strategically leveraging this data for planning. 

Moving forward, MOH aims to improve the timeliness of the MNCR reports. Efforts will focus on more frequent releases, potentially transitioning to biennial and ultimately annual reports. These initiatives are aimed at providing updated and actionable data to inform targeted strategies and improve outcomes in cancer prevention and care. Throughout this endeavour, MOH will uphold the accuracy and completeness of information to ensure the integrity and reliability of the data. 

For access to all reports and the newly published e-book, please visit the IKN website at http://nci.moh.gov.my or the MOH website at http://moh.gov.my. 

MINISTRY OF HEALTH MALAYSIA
19 JULY 2024
 
SOURCE: Ministry of Health Malaysia​

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
Name: Farahdila Wati binti Mohd Khamde Khuzaini
Tel : +603-8883 3470
Fax : +603-8888 6187 

--BERNAMA