By Zaki Salleh
IPOH, May 24 — A total of 18,248 new cancer cases were recorded in Perak between 2017 and 2021, according to the newly launched Perak Cancer Registry Report 2017–2021 by the state Health Department.
The report was launched in conjunction with the Perak State Cancer Technical Meeting and compiles cancer notification data across the state over the five-year period.
It serves as an important reference to strengthen planning, policy and strategies for cancer control in Perak.
Based on the report, the lifetime risk of developing cancer before the age of 75 is estimated at one in seven.
Breast cancer recorded the highest incidence at 15.8 percent, followed by colorectal cancer at 15 percent and lung cancer at 10.9 per cent.
The report also showed that the Chinese ethnic group recorded the highest incidence rate for most major cancer types compared to other ethnic groups.
A significant increase was also noted in liver cancer cases, which more than doubled from 427 cases in the 2012–2016 period to 910 cases in 2017–2021.
Liver cancer has now risen from the seventh most common cancer to the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer in Perak.
In addition, 66.9 percent of cancer cases were detected at Stage III and IV, almost similar to the 67 percent recorded in the previous period.
The situation indicates that public awareness on the importance of cancer screening and early detection still needs to be further strengthened on an ongoing basis.
The Health Department hopes the report will serve as a key foundation in strengthening prevention, early detection and public health intervention efforts related to cancer in Perak.
