KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) –– Access to early breast cancer screening must be expanded, particularly in rural areas, as 50.5 per cent of breast cancer cases in Malaysia are diagnosed at Stages Three and Four, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said.
The Prime Minister’s wife said greater efforts were needed to bring screening services closer to women, including through technology and targeted outreach programmes to overcome barriers such as distance and time constraints.
“Most importantly, the reach of campaigns such as this must truly extend to grassroots communities, especially in rural areas, where women can benefit from technological advances to access screening.
“Besides that, women sometimes do not have the time. So, we want to look at how we can conduct outreach programmes,” she said.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament, said this when officiating the ESG Wellness 2026 Campaign in conjunction with Pink October here today.
She said the Malaysia National Cancer Registry Report 2017-2021 identified breast cancer as the most common cancer in the country, accounting for 17.6 per cent of all registered cancer cases.
She called for a whole-of-nation approach involving individuals, families, communities, employers, government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to strengthen awareness and ensure screening subsidies reached those in need.
“We should not work in silos. Awareness campaigns should be conducted as early as possible for all age groups, regardless of gender, as everyone can play their respective roles in ensuring that our loved ones undergo early breast cancer screening,” she said.
Dr Wan Azizah also proposed that Malaysia learn from Sweden’s approach to regular annual screenings and Japan’s practice of encouraging employers to provide female employees with time and facilities to undergo breast examinations.
Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) deputy director-general (Clinical-Surgical) Prof Dr Nor’azim Mohd Yunus said the campaign focused on three main initiatives: the B40 Breast Cancer Diagnostic Fund under PPUMCare, the B40 Robotic Breast Surgery Fund, and psychosocial support through the UMMC Candy Girls Support Group.
He said UMMC remained committed to integrating clinical expertise, research and innovation, while highlighting its achievement in performing Malaysia’s first robotic surgery for breast cancer treatment.
Yayasan Canone Kianjoo contributed RM250,000 to support robotic surgery for eligible patients from the B40 group, subject to clinical assessment.
As of Oct 15, the campaign had also received cash contributions totalling RM417,080 from 55 sponsors and contributing partners, he said.
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