Dec 12, 2015 @1.51pm
By Olivia Miwil
olivia@nst.com.my
KOTA KINABALU: The increase number of cancer patients in Sabah have doubled within two years.
Likas Women and Children's hospital director Dr Tan Bee Hwai said there were about 6,500 patients doing follow up at the hospital's Radiotherapy and Nuclear centre as compared to about 3,500 in 2013.
"This shows the increase had gone beyond the usual 1 cancer patient in 10,000 population.
"On average, there are two or three cancer patients in 10,000 people now and is expected to increase more in future," he said during the sixth 1 Malaysia Festive celebration for cancer survivors here.
The center provides cancer treatment for people of Sabah, Labuan, northern Sarawak, and occasionally to Brunei.
The commonest illnesses among those patients are breast, colorectal, cervical and nasopharyngeal cancers.
He attributed defect in genes as the root cause to the development of cancers.
Dr Tan added the growing number of patients seeking treatment could also mean increase awareness among the people on cancer diseases.
"People are confident on this Radiology centre which provides treatment services at par with hospitals overseas.
"Besides extending the lives of patients, we are also aiming to improve their quality of life."
Present at the celebration was Queen Elizabeth hospital 2 director Dr Razak Tambi.
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