Breast cancer is the most common cancer, affecting 34 out of 100,000 women in Malaysia, and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the country. Public health efforts towards reducing the burden of breast cancer in Malaysia have been focused on early detection through opportunistic mammography screening and clinical breast examinations (CBE) in government clinics and hospitals, as reflected in the National Strategic Plan for Cancer Control Programme (NSP-CCP, 2021-2025). Despite these efforts, the significant proportion of advanced-stage breast cancer remains an issue as nearly half of the breast cancer cases recorded in Malaysia were only diagnosed at Stage III and Stage IV. Aside from that, poor early detection of breast cancer cases in Malaysia is also reflected in our poor survival rates relative to developed countries, indicating significant gaps in breast cancer management.
“Breast Cancer Care in Malaysia: Access to Early Detection, Diagnosis and Optimal Treatment” is a project implemented by IDEAS to evaluate the gaps in breast cancer care in terms of patients’ access to early presentation, timely diagnosis, and optimal treatment. These gaps are evaluated by assessing publicly available government data and policy documents, existing literature as well as through focus group discussions with patients and survivors as well as roundtable discussions with key stakeholders and service providers.
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