Key Messages

1 in 5 men and women in Malaysia are now at risk of getting cancer sometime in their life. The forecast is that this will increase to 1 in 3 by about the year 2020. This is a large figure and means we really need to work together to fight cancer.

Spreading key messages is crucial in this. You can help raise public awareness about cancer. For example, do you know that cancer is a disorder of cell growth? And that there are about 200 different types of cancer, each with their own causes.

Help spread the key messages listed below.

Prevention is better than cure.

It is estimated that some 80% of cancers are due to unhealthy lifestyles. Key factors here are smoking, diet with too much fat or too little fibre, lack of exercise and obesity. So if we change our lifestyles, we can greatly improve our chances of preventing cancer. Prevention is definitely better than cure!

Early detection and proper treatment saves lives.

Cancers progress through various stages. The earlier we detect the cancer, the better our chances of survival are. But in Malaysia, 66% of cancers are diagnosed at a late stage. So cure is unlikely, resulting in unnecessary suffering and premature death.  This in turn fuels the negative public perceptions of cancer that it is a death sentence. Actually our five-year survival rate is already about 40%. It can improve to more than 60% if more cancers are diagnosed early.

Again, it is in our hands. If we monitor ourselves properly, go for regular checkups and don't delay in seeking advice when we think something is wrong, we stand a far better chance of early detection and effective treatment.

And don't forget: seek proper treatment. Many people have tried all sorts of 'miracle cures' promised by various 'alternative' practitioners, only to realise too late that the promised cure has not worked. Don't make this same mistake.

You are not alone.

We don't have to suffer in silence. Thousands of people and their families suffer from cancer and its consequences. You are not alone. There are many people who have survived cancer, and many people and their families who have benefited from proper care and comfort, as provided for example by the Hospice at Home and Rumah Hospis projects.  

Making good lifestyle choices is key not just in preventing cancer but in preventing many other diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.

Fantastic! So...

• don't smoke

• eat a well balanced-diet, avoiding too much fat, sugar and salt

• exercise regularly

And live happily and healthily!

Spread the messages

Help spread the messages by

* distributing leaflets
     (we have lots, in all   
   languages: contact us)

* hosting our exhibition

* organising a talk on
   cancer (we can supply
    speakers)

* get people involved in 
   Relay for Life

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