For peace of mind: Women who participated in full health screenings during the National Cancer Society Malaysia’s Pink Unity 6600 Campaign at KL Sentral. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: In a month, 6,600 breast cancer screenings were done as part of the Pink Unity 6600 Campaign organised by National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM).
It was a milestone that made it to the Malaysia Book of Records for conducting the most breast cancer screenings in a campaign.
The screenings, which ran from Oct 4 to Nov 4, took various forms, including clinical breast examination, mammograms, ultrasound and use of the handheld breast screening medical device iBreast, at numerous locations throughout the country.
The achievement was honoured at the campaign’s closing ceremony here yesterday.
NCSM managing director Dr Murallitharan Munisamy said the introduction of iBreast at a number of clinics in August was crucial in giving Malaysians an early warning.
“Over 50% of Malaysian cancer patients are detected only after the disease has reached stage three or four, which is too late for treatment in some cases.
“This is because Malaysians are notoriously hard to convince, even more so when it comes to spending money on voluntary full health screenings at hospitals.
“But with iBreast, detecting breast cancer is not only cheaper but more convenient for women as they can get themselves screened at local clinics,” he said in his speech at the event.
Dr Murallitharan said the “6,600” in the campaign’s name was chosen to commemorate 66 years of Malaysia’s independence to symbolise a chance for early detection and preservation of lives.
“With this campaign, more Malaysians have been empowered to take charge of their health and make informed decisions about their well-being,” he added.
Attending the event was Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar, who praised the programme’s accomplishment as a big step towards ensuring the health and growth of Malaysia’s female workforce.
“Cancer is one of the many health issues that has among the highest potential of forcibly retiring people from the workforce, especially if it’s detected in its late stages.
“But with this campaign, women around the country have been given the proactive option they need to not only protect their health but to continue their careers by detecting and treating potential cancers at an early stage,” he said.
He said he hoped to see more similar proactive health campaigns from NCSM and other health-related bodies in the future.
Wan-Amir Jeffrey, the commercial chief executive officer of local pharmaceutical company Duopharma Biotech Bhd, which is commercialising and distributing iBreast to local clinics around Malaysia, said it was hoping to expand the number of clinics equipped with the device from 48 currently to over 100 by July next year.
