| t cancer is the most common cancer among | | | | many of the women who have been diagnosed with |
| Malaysian women from all ethnicities and it is also the | | | | breast cancer often fail to seek treatment or |
| most common cause of cancer death amongwomen | | | | discontinue their treatment.At present, there is scant |
| in Malaysia. The disease accounts for 30.4% of newly | | | | research being carried out to understand these |
| diagnosed cancer cases in Malaysian women. The | | | | phenomena in Malaysia. Moreover, there is no |
| incidence continues to rise as confirmed by the latest | | | | institutional set up that concentrates upon utilizing such |
| report of the Malaysian National Cancer Registry (Lim, | | | | knowledge, even if it is available. Such a set up is |
| Halimah, & Lim, 2003). Breast cancer incidence for | | | | crucial in the development and dissemination of |
| 2002 is 4,337, compared to 3,825 for the year 2000. | | | | culturally, ethically and linguistically appropriate breast |
| The actual number of women infected by the disease | | | | cancer educational materials to effectively change |
| could be higher than the official figures as many | | | | those behaviors and beliefs that impede accurate |
| women fail to seek treatment for various reasons. | | | | understanding about the disease and the treatment of |
| In many developed nations the disease is prevalent | | | | the disease. |
| among older women, but in Malaysia, the first and | | | | Excerpts from National Cancer Registry (2003)a. The |
| latest survey reveals that 52.3 percent of the cases | | | | most common cancer among womenb. The most |
| of breast cancer involve women below 50 years of | | | | common cancer among females in all ethnic groupsc. |
| age. Over one third of the cases are in the | | | | The most common cancer among females from age |
| pre-menopausal group. The disease strikes at the time | | | | 20 yearsd. 4337 new cases diagnosed in 2002.e. |
| when most working women are still raising children and | | | | 52.3% of the new cases in 2002 were in women |
| establishing themselves in a career. In addition, the type | | | | below 50 years oldf. Overall crude rate (CR) |
| of cancers that are found in this age group are often | | | | –number of cases first notified for a given |
| more difficult to treat. | | | | population – 45.1 per 100,000g. Age-standardize |
| Although, official rates of breast cancer mortality are | | | | incidence (ASR) – for meaningful comparisonof |
| not known, the number of deaths reported by a study | | | | 2 population that differ in their age structure – |
| released in the year 2001 is cause for alarm. | | | | 52.8h. A women in Malaysia had a 1 in 19 chance of |
| According to the report, in the year 2000 deaths from | | | | getting the diseases (1:14 for Chinese, 1:15 for Indian, and |
| the disease totaled 1,707; that is, close to 45 % of the | | | | 1 in 24 for Malay) |
| cases result in death. The actual figure may be higher, | | | | From a study in two breast clinic in Kuala Lumpur |
| owing to the underreporting of cases and the | | | | Taken from : Yip, C.H., & Abdullah, N.H. (2003) |
| difficulties in obtaining accurate statistics from some | | | | Spectrum of breast cancer in Malaysian Women: |
| geographically remote places. Unconfirmed reports | | | | Overview. World Journal of Surgery 27, 921-923a. |
| suggest that although Malay women have the lowest | | | | Peak age group range 40-49 yearsb. The mean tumor |
| incidence rates of breast cancer among the three | | | | size at presentation 5.4 cmc. 50-60% of the newly |
| major ethnic groups (incidence is reportedly highest | | | | diagnose cases are at stage 3 and 4d. The tumor |
| among the Chinese, followed by the Indian), they have | | | | were much larger in Malay ethnic group patientse. The |
| the highest mortality rates. | | | | advance stage of breast cancer is observed to be |
| The Malaysian Medical Association asserts that | | | | the highest among the Malay ethnic groupf. |
| women who were less likely to undergo breast | | | | Percentage of advance cases is thought to be higher |
| examination are at a higher risk of late detection of | | | | in rural hospitalsg. There are 16 breast clinic for 23 mil. |
| breast cancer. This scenario is reportedly more | | | | population ( way below recommendation of 1:16 mil)h. |
| prevalent among women who have low or no formal | | | | Nation-wide breast screening program is yet to be |
| education, come from rural areas, live in agricultural | | | | establishedi. Situation in East Malaysia is not yet |
| communities, and are from low-income families (Lim, | | | | knownj. Delays in seeking treatment and defaults in |
| 2003). Furthermore, unofficial reports also suggest that | | | | further treatment are commonly observed. |