Cancer patients should not trust treatment without proof of effectiveness — Dr Lee

IPOH: Individuals diagnosed with cancer are advised not to delay early treatment or trust therapy or treatment with no evidence of effectiveness.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said it was the responsibility of the public to know about the early signs of cancer because detecting the symptoms at an early stage can help cure it.

“We need to jointly combat the myths, false information and misunderstandings that cause Malaysians to refrain from screening, refusing or delaying early treatment,” he told reporters after opening the Kledang Hill Challenge in conjunction with the state-level World Cancer Day celebration here, yesterday.

The programme was organised by the members of the Kinta Sports, Welfare and Health Club and the Kinta District Health Office, Batu Gajah to promote a healthy and active lifestyle through sports.

Dr Lee, who is also member of Parliament for Gopeng, said the Malaysian public awareness about cancer was still low compared to other developed countries. Most patients only noticed it when it reached an advanced stage.

“The Ministry of Health provides free cancer screenings such as mammograms and pap smears in nearly all health clinics to detect cancer in its early stage,” he said.

“We also have two hospitals that specialise in treating cancer, namely the National Cancer Institute in Putrajaya and the Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Bahru. In each state there are also hospitals which have the facilities to treat cancer,” he said.

According to him, cancer is the second leading cause of death in Malaysia with calorectal cancer common among men and breast cancer among women. — Bernama