Malaysia calls for more efforts to tackle rising cancer cases

Malaysian Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad on Sunday called for wider efforts to tackle the rising number of cancer cases in the Southeast Asian country.

Dzulkefly said in a speech marking World Cancer Day that improving the population's access to health services is essential, citing the recorded cases in 2020 -- 48,639 new cancer cases and 29,530 cancer-related deaths with the numbers expected to double by 2040.

"Outside of advancements in cancer treatment, we must also look at improving the overall population's access to essential health services as most cancer specialists and treatment facilities are usually only available in cities or major hospitals," he said.

He also noted that liver cancer in particular was among the five most common types of cancers in the country, which was caused by the ever-growing rate of obesity.

"Obesity increases the risk of fatty liver disease or Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Fatty Liver Disease, which is one of the primary causes of liver cancer," the minister said.

"The latest National Health and Morbidity Survey has reported that around 50 percent of adults and 30 percent of children in Malaysia are already overweight or obese and this figure is predicted to continue increasing annually," he cautioned.