7 most common cancers in Malaysia

Cancer is one of the top 3 leading causes of death in Malaysia. It’s no surprise that each of us knows at least a friend or a family member who has been afflicted with cancer.

What’s even scarier: 

It is estimated that 1 in 4 Malaysian will develop cancer by age 75.

What are the 7 most common cancers in Malaysia? Scroll down to find out about that and what you could do to prevent or reduce your chances of getting them:

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women in Malaysia. Averagely, 1 in 19 women (in Malaysia) would get breast cancer.

The good thing is that breast cancer is potentially curable if detected early. Cure rates for Stages I and II cases may be as high as 80% and above.

If you’ve got a family history of breast cancer or are carriers of the BRCA I and BRCA II genes, do get clinical or self-examination combined with screening mammography often.

Colorectal cancer as the most common cancer among men and the 3rd most common among women in Malaysia.

Some of the non-specific symptoms of colorectal cancer include:  a change in bowel habits; diarrhea; constipation or a feeling that the bowel does not empty completely, and stools with bright red or very dark blood.

Some may also experience abdominal pain, including frequent bloating, fullness and cramps. They may also be constantly tired and anaemic, or experience an unexplained loss of weight and appetite.

However, you may not have any outward symptoms at the early stage. Therefore it is important to do regular screening, especially if you’re above 40 years old.

To reduce your risk of developing this disease, make sure your diet is rich in fibre, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.

Although lung cancer is not the most common cancer in Malaysia, it is the leading cause of cancer deaths accounting for almost 20% of total cancer deaths.

The single most major risk factor for lung cancer is tobacco smoking (either active or passive). Tobacco smoke contains numerous chemicals (that are carcinogenic) that damage the cells of your lungs and cause changes that lead to cancer. Tobacco smoke is responsible for about 90% of lung cancers. About one in seven long-term smokers will get lung cancer.

Cervical cancer as it is the 2nd most common cancer among Malaysian women (after breast cancer).

The most common symptoms experienced are bleeding after sexual intercourse and bleeding in between periods. Sometimes the bleeding may be severe, leading to anaemia. Other symptoms include difficulty in breathing when exercising, increased tiredness, and occasionally, a foul smelling vaginal discharge.

Cervical cancer can be prevented by vaccination and detected at an early stage via various screening methods. Pap smear should be done regularly and certainly in all sexually active women.

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is the 2nd most common cancer in Malaysian men (after lung cancer).

The most common symptom for NPC is formation of neck lump, followed by hearing loss or ringing or buzzing in the ear, blood-stained saliva or nasal discharge and double vision.

According to Dr Yap (President of the Malaysian Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgeons) : “70% of NPC patients were diagnosed only six months after the first symptom was noticed and treatment was delayed due to lack of awareness of its early symptoms.“

NPC has been linked to consumption of preserved food such as salted fish, vegetables which contain carcinogenic nitrosamines, the Epstein-Barr viral infection, and exposure to toxic fume and tobacco.

Liver cancers are strongly associated with chronic liver infection or hepatitis, (especially Hepatitis B & C). Another important risk factor for this disease is liver cirrhosis (from either excessive alcohol consumption or ingestion of aflatoxin – toxin found in moldy grains and nuts).

Unfortunately, this disease usually has no initial symptoms or may have vague symptoms such as fatigue, fever, chills, and night sweats. Eventual symptoms may include:

• Pain, swelling, or tenderness in the upper right section of the abdomen
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
• Itching all over the body
• Retention of fluid in the abdomen or feet

Prevention tips: Do get vaccinated against Hepatitis B and go for regular check-ups so that if detected with hepatitis or cirrhosis, appropriate treatment can be given.

Prostate cancer is the 4th most common cancer diagnosed in Malaysian men.

Fortunately, the outlook for this disease has improved due to advances in screening, prevention and strategies in managing the disease (either local or metastatic).

Among the symptoms are difficulty in urinating, blood in the urine and the urge for more frequent urination. However they are rare in early prostate cancer.

Most men, starting at age 50, should have an annual prostate exam. That should be done in combination with the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test. If you’re in the high-risk category (has a family history of prostate cancer, etc), then those tests should probably begin starting at age 40 and continue on an annual basis.