Facts and Figures of Cancer in

Malaysia

Najihah binti Mohd Sani

2017482806
 Cancer In Malaysia: Facts and Figures
According to estimates, there are about 90-100,000 people in Malaysia living
with cancer at any one time. The National Cancer Registry of Malaysia (NCR) records
21,773 Malaysians being diagnosed with cancer but estimates that almost 10,000
cases are unregistered every year. It is estimated that one in four Malaysians (1:4) will
develop cancer by 75 years old. Increasing population and longer life spans contributes
to rise of cancer. Cancer occurs more in females than males with a ratio of male to
female 1:1.2. The cancer incidence out of 100 000 people are 4 058 Malay males and 4
753 Malay females are diagnosed with cancer, 4 078 Chinese males and 4 422 Chinese
females are diagnosed with cancer, 629 Indian males and 1 065 Indian females are
diagnosed with cancer.
The top 5 cancers affecting both male and female in Malaysia are breast,
colorectal (bowel), lung, cervical, nasopharyngeal (throat). Although cancer is
considered the 3rd leading cause of premature death in Malaysia, it has been found
that only 30-40% of all deaths occurring due to cancer are medically certified - thus
meaning that there is no exact number to show that people are dying from cancer
mainly. Cancer is slowly becoming a leading cause of death; avoidable risk factors such
as tobacco and smoking, alcohol, poor diet, poor lifestyle, inadequate exercise or being
overweight contribute to this. Improvement in early detection and treatment leads to
better survival rates for people with cancer.