Dr Sim prepares to beat the gong to launch the symposium. Also seen are Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia patron Puan Sri Datin Seri Datuk Akmal Abdul Salam (centre) and president Ranjit Kaur.
KUCHING: Malaysia may have a universal healthcare (UHC) system but oncology services are still lacking, particularly in Sarawak, where many patients have to travel long distances to an oncology centre.
Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said he knows a case of a woman patient, who had to walk two hours from her longhouse to board a longboat for a further two-hour journey to the city.
“From the city she had to fly to Kuching and then take a taxi to the hospital and sometimes there is an overcharge when it comes to taxis. This is quite a lot of money just for a follow-up,” he said when launching the third annual SEA Breast Cancer Symposium (SEABCS) 2018 here yesterday.
He pointed out that breast cancer is the most common cancer among Malaysian women, making up 31 per cent of all cancers.
Although breast cancer “is the most curable cancer, especially when the cancer is diagnosed in the early stages”, the survival rates of women in Southeast Asia (SEA) diagnosed with breast cancer are poor compared to women in the western world, he said.
“Despite being one of the richer countries in SEA, survival rates in Malaysia remain low, with a five-year survival rate reported at around 50 per cent,” he said.
Dr Sim pointed out that survival from breast cancer depends on early detection and optimal access to treatment.
“Women in Malaysia present in late stages, with around 50 per cent presenting with Stage 3 and 4 disease. The reasons for late presentation are belief in traditional treatment, lack of individualistic decision-making, poor breast health literacy, poverty, and fear of mastectomy,” he said.
Dr Sim said breast cancer can also be expensive to treat with new targeted therapies.
“The ACTION, which is Asean Costs in Oncology study, recruited 9,513 patients with an initial diagnosis of cancer from eight countries in SEA including Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
“The study found that 12 months after diagnosis, 29 per cent had died and 48 per cent experienced financial catastrophe, which is defined as a household spending 30 per cent of its income on cancer-related expenditure,” he said.
Dr Sim said in Malaysia the financial catastrophe rate is 45 per cent despite UHC. “It is cheaper to treat an early breast cancer than to treat an advanced one, hence early detection is a priority.
“Breast cancer selfawareness programmes are vital to encourage women to present early where cure is possible and mastectomy may not be necessary,” he added.
Over 300 delegates comprising clinicians, researchers, nurses, patient advocates, cancer survivors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and government personnel are participating in SEABCS.
Themed ‘Patient-Centred Care’, the symposium involves delegates from Australia, Cambodia, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, Timor-Leste, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.