PROPOSED WRITE UP – DRAFT #1

INDONESIA MEDIA – HARIAN SURYA SURABAYA

Publisher : Harian Surya Surabaya

Size : 7 x 270
Proposed Article to be : April 2022
published
Language required by : Bahasa Indonesia
the publisher
Prepared by : Health Tourism Service
KPJ Healthcare Berhad

According to Data Global Cancer Observatory from World Health Organization (WHO),
breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in Indonesia, where 1 in 8
women is diagnosed with the disease.

Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. There are different
kinds of breast cancer depending on which breast cells turn into cancer. Breast cancer can
spread out the breast through blood vessels and lymph vessels. When breast cancer
spreads to other parts of the body, it is said to have metastasized.

Most people have perceived that cancer treatment is painful, making many willing to keep
quiet than seek professional treatment by a specialist. Some even believe in alternative
methods thinking that the disease can be cured. But unfortunately, this cause patient to be
more suffer from cancer when the cancer cells have spread.

[Shaz : Please get Dr Amin to comment. If he wants to add any info related to breast cancer
treatment, please help provide us in bullet point]

At KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital (DSH), our Consultant Clinical & Radiation
Oncologist, Dr Aminudin Rahman bin Mohd Mydin, said patients diagnosed and received
early treatment could return to their healthy lives and continue to live normal lives instead of
suffering from advanced stage cancer and it’s prolonged cancer treatment. In Indonesia,
breast cancer is still detected at the advanced stage 3 and 4 disease with poorer survival
outcomes and more complicated treatments for patients. However, doing regular screening
such as a mammogram or breast ultrasound for women 40 years and above, help patients to
detect the cancer early and have better chance of cure and survival after effective
treatments. Majority of breast cancers are not preventable, therefore early detection with
screening and effective treatments save lives.

"There are various types of treatment available to treat breast cancer, including surgery,
radiotherapy, and drug treatments - chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and
hormone therapy, but the suitability of each treatment depending on cancer differs in each
individual. There are numerous new treatments available for breast cancer patients
nowadays which has improved their survival while maintaining their quality of lives because
these treatments have less side effects. As Oncologist, we will always consider several
factors when treating patients, including type and stage of cancer, health level, and other
diseases that the patient may have to determine the most effective treatment," said Dr
Aminudin.

[SHAZ : Appreciate it if you could get Dr Naqiyah to comment and give feedback. ]

Meanwhile, Dr Naqiyah Ibrahim, Consultant Breast and Endocrine Surgeon at KPJ

Damansara Specialist Hospital, highlights that breast cancer occurs due to modifiable and
non-modifiable factors. Non-modifiable factors that cause a higher risk of breast cancer

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PROPOSED WRITE UP – DRAFT #1
INDONESIA MEDIA – HARIAN SURYA SURABAYA

include family history, gene mutations, onset of menstruation and

menopause.

Other risk factors can be altered, such as diet and lifestyle choices. Maintaining a healthy
weight, getting enough sleep, engaging in regular physical activity, limiting alcohol intake,
breastfeeding your babies and consuming a diet rich in colourful produce may reduce your
risk of developing breast cancer.

Screening is an important tool when it comes to preventing breast cancer. Interestingly,

ultrasounds demonstrate a higher sensitivity for breast cancer in younger women, while
mammograms have a higher sensitivity in those older than 60.

While ultrasounds are preferred instead of mammograms for pregnant women, it is always
wise to discuss options with your doctor beforehand.

"Everyone experiences mammograms differently. For example, some women may feel pain
during the procedure, and others may not feel anything. The latest technology makes
mammogram screening more comfortable and less painful. There are usually no symptoms
in the pre-invasive stage, and the most common symptom is a lump in the breast that is
often painless. The lump can only be felt when more than 1-2 cm in size. Other signs of
breast cancer are pain, unusual discharge and changes in breast shape. For the severe
stage, the patient might experience serious pain, weakness, loss of appetite or shortness of
breath," said Dr Naqiyah.
Raising breast cancer awareness among women with a family history who are at a
moderate-to-high risk of developing breast cancer is important. In particular, awareness of
age-related risk, lifetime risk, and the risk factors for developing breast cancer should be
emphasized to help us close the gap.

KPJ HEALTHCARE BERHAD

KPJ Healthcare Berhad, also known as KPJ Hospital, is one of Malaysia's biggest and most
prominent medical providers, with 28 hospitals nationwide. The healthcare provider has four
(4) Centres of Excellence for Cancer Care located at KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital,
KPJ Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital, KPJ Johor Specialist Hospital, KPJ Ipoh Specialist
Hospital with KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital serve as their premier cancer care centre. The
hospitals are also equipped with the latest technologies such as Elekta Versa HD Linear
Accelerator Radiotherapy System, PET/CT-Scan, CT-Scan and 3D/2D Mammogram.

Winning as Malaysia's Best Hospital 2021, our dedicated International Patient Centres are
ready to serve all our international patients, including providing information on our facilities
and specialists, estimated treatment cost, medical advice, logistic arrangement, insurance
assistance etc.

Starting 1st April 2022, all the international travellers who are fully vaccinated are not
required to undergo quarantine upon arrival. They, however, must undergo an RT-PCR test
two days before departure and a rapid test (RTK) upon arrival.

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