Breast cancer patients still seeking alternative remedies

Norhizan Ismail (left)

SUNGAI PETANI, March 16 (Bernama) -- There are still many breast cancer patients who resort to alternative remedies and only come to the hospital after the disease has reached advanced stages and was difficult to treat, said Kedah Health director Datuk Dr Norhizan Ismail.

He said as many as 200 to 300 women in the state were diagnosed with breast cancer from 2007 to 2011 and the number was very alarming.

 What was even more worrying was that many patients did not undergo follow-up treatment at the hospital but instead sought traditional treatment with bomohs, shamans, or bought outside medicine resulting in severe complications due to delay in getting proper specialist treatment.

“We also found that 50 per cent of cancer patients, are already at the third and fourth advanced stages, making treatment difficult,” he said at the state-level opening ceremony of the World Cancer Day here, today.

The State Non-Communicable Disease Control Unit (NCD) report released in 2016 also showed breast cancer as the leading cause of female deaths in the state compared to colon and lung cancer.

In addition, Dr Norhizan said according to the report, the number of colon cancer patients had increased by 30 per cent, while lung cancer patients by an average of 150 cases a year.

Meanwhile, the Cancer Survivors Malaysia (CSM), a non-governmental organisation, founder Zuraini Kamal said the CSM and state Health Department collaboration programme had today brought together almost 100 cancer patients and their next-of-kin.

‘We also presented three cancer patients with certificates to perform umrah and donated 50 boxes of food to others as a sign of support and concern for the patients,” she said.

-- BERNAMA