10% of cancer patients in Malaysia contract gynaecological cancers

KUALA LUMPUR: Ten percent of the total number of cancer patients in Malaysia contract gynaecological cancers like cervical, ovary and uterus cancers, said the Health Ministry.
Its minister Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam said data gathered over five years from 100,000 people who had cancer revealed that 10% were diagnosed with gynaecological cancers.
"After breast cancer this is the second type of cancer to affect women in Malaysia, and it is a big problem. We provide free pap smear in all government hospitals and even health clinics but only about 40% from the target group identified have done the test.
"Malaysians need to stop being shy and realise that with early detection of the disease there is a very high recovery rate. You can be free from cervical cancer," he told the media after officiating the National Gynae-Oncology Conference 2017 at Double-Tree Hotel in Ampang.
Malaysians are conservative and this hinders them from going for the free pap smear that is offered by the Health Ministry, he added.
"We provide all the privacy and comfort but people are still shy. There must be more awareness that with early detection the cure rate is high. If they know this they will come forward. They must overcome their felling of being shy. This is where our staff on the ground must educate the public to come forward to do this," he said further.
However the second part of the awareness campaign, where HPV vaccinations preventing cervical cancer were given to secondary students, is a success, Subra said.
"When this group of the society reaches the age of 40 and above, we hope the cervical cancer rates in Malaysia will drop drastically. This is because we have taken risk prevention by giving the students vaccinations, this is a success story," he said.
The theme of the event this year was "Holistic Approach" where the Gynaecological Oncologocal Services in Malaysia aims to deliver quality, holistic care to women suffering from gynaecological cancers.