Earlier this week, I manage to attend the launching of the event where this new campaign by National Cancer Society Malaysia and Lung Cancer Network Malaysia urges people not to delay cancer check-ups and scheduled treatment. This is important issue cos early detection is curable.
Anyhow due to the pandemic, fewer people with cancer are diagnosed early, increasing the risk of more cancers being diagnosed at an advanced stage when they are more difficult to treat. Cancer, however, does not stop for COVID-19. For this reason, the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) and Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM) have partnered to launch the ‘New Normal, Same Cancer’ campaign with the support of AstraZeneca Malaysia to address the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care, calling on people to act early and re-engage with appropriate healthcare screening.
Launched in conjunction with breast, lung and prostate cancer awareness months, the ‘New Normal, Same Cancer’ campaign was officiated by Dato' Dr. Haji Noor Azmi Bin Ghazali, Deputy Health Minister, along with Dato’ Dr. Saunthari Somasundaram, President of NCSM,
Cancer is a health concern among Malaysians especially since it is the second leading cause of death in the world and in Malaysia. According to a recently published research, Covid-19 Impact on Cancer Care by IQVIA, there was a drastic drop of 74% in cancer diagnosis, with doctors sharing that they experienced delays in follow-up for screening, check-ups and treatment with cancer patients and high-risk groups.
With drastic drops in diagnosis rates and fewer people being screened, the three partners have collaborated to raise awareness amongst the population of patients who have missed out on diagnosis and treatment. Apart from providing education to the public on proper cancer care through social media and the campaign’s microsite, the ‘New Normal, Same Cancer’ aims to bring patients back to care in this new normal by providing screening vouchers and consultation on breast, lung and prostate cancers from participating hospitals nationwide.
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| ‘New Normal, Same Cancer’ campaign was officiated by (from left) Dr. Anand Sachithanandan, Co-founder and President of Lung Cancer Network Malaysia, Dr. Sanjeev Panchal, Country President of AstraZeneca Malaysia, Dato' Dr. Haji Noor Azmi Bin Ghazali, Deputy Health Minister, Dato’ Dr. Saunthari Somasundaram, President of National Cancer Society Malaysia, and Dr. Murallitharan Munisamy, Managing Director of National Cancer Society Malaysia. |
Launched in conjunction with breast, lung and prostate cancer awareness months, the ‘New Normal, Same Cancer’ campaign was officiated by Dato' Dr. Haji Noor Azmi Bin Ghazali, Deputy Health Minister, along with Dato’ Dr. Saunthari Somasundaram, President of NCSM,
Cancer is a health concern among Malaysians especially since it is the second leading cause of death in the world and in Malaysia. According to a recently published research, Covid-19 Impact on Cancer Care by IQVIA, there was a drastic drop of 74% in cancer diagnosis, with doctors sharing that they experienced delays in follow-up for screening, check-ups and treatment with cancer patients and high-risk groups.
With drastic drops in diagnosis rates and fewer people being screened, the three partners have collaborated to raise awareness amongst the population of patients who have missed out on diagnosis and treatment. Apart from providing education to the public on proper cancer care through social media and the campaign’s microsite, the ‘New Normal, Same Cancer’ aims to bring patients back to care in this new normal by providing screening vouchers and consultation on breast, lung and prostate cancers from participating hospitals nationwide.
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| Dato’ Dr. Saunthari Somasundaram, President of National Cancer Society Malaysia |
"COVID-19 can take lives, and so can cancer. For the past one and a half years, cancer care has taken a dip as the healthcare system has been overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases. Cancer is a silent killer and unbeknownst to people, it may be affecting them at this very moment. As we progress towards the new normal, we cannot ignore the elephant in the room, which is cancer. A late cancer diagnosis lowers one’s chance of survival and increases the cost of treatment and care. We need to amplify the importance of early detection, and our time to act is now,” said Dato’ Dr. Saunthari Somasundaram, President of National Cancer Society Malaysia.
According to Dato’ Dr. Saunthari, this campaign with LCNM supported by AstraZeneca aims to achieve three goals: raise cancer awareness amongst the public, highlight the importance of early detection and encourage people to go for screening.
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| Ms. Selvarani A/P Krishnan, a cancer survivor sharing her experience in combating breast cancer at the media launch of ‘New Normal, Same Cancer’ campaign. |
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| Dr. Anand Sachithanandan |
“Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers with the lowest survival rate in Malaysia as the vast majority are detected too late in stages 3 and 4. If detected early, it is a curable disease with good outcomes. The COVID-19 outbreak and restrictions has worsened the situation with further delays and disruptions to scheduled check-ups and cancer screening, resulting in more late-stage diagnosis,” said Dr. Anand Sachithanandan.
“We understand the public’s reticence to come for cancer screening during the pandemic. For this reason, LCNM is pleased to be part of this campaign to heighten awareness that lung cancer screening for ‘at-risk’ individuals can be done safely with the necessary precautions in place. Our collective aim is to achieve stage shift and detect more early-stage disease which can be treated more effectively,” explained Dr. Anand.
“We understand the public’s reticence to come for cancer screening during the pandemic. For this reason, LCNM is pleased to be part of this campaign to heighten awareness that lung cancer screening for ‘at-risk’ individuals can be done safely with the necessary precautions in place. Our collective aim is to achieve stage shift and detect more early-stage disease which can be treated more effectively,” explained Dr. Anand.
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| Dr Sanjeev |
“At AstraZeneca, we are committed to go beyond the pill with innovative solutions to improve patient outcomes. An aspect of this includes patient education and public-private partnerships to drive early diagnosis for disease prevention. The New Normal, Same Cancer campaign is a global initiative since 2020 in which we have worked with professional organisations in several countries to bring cancer patients back to health care,” said Dr Sanjeev.
“The partnership with NCSM and LCNM helps to ensure progress is made in cancer treatment and survival is not reversed. In line with the country’s transition to the endemic phase, we aim to inspire early action, encouraging people not to wait to contact their doctor if they have any cancer signs and symptoms,” Dr. Sanjeev further stated.
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| Dato' Dr. Haji Noor Azmi Bin Ghazali, Deputy Health Minister |
Delays in cancer screening and diagnosis have resulted in a delay in patients receiving effective treatments. Research highlights that any interruption to the cancer care pathway can be detrimental to patient outcomes, so it is critical that people return to seek cancer care.
To encourage patients and the public to continue their scheduled treatments and early screening, screening vouchers can be downloaded from the campaign’s microsite. For added convenience, bookings for screening can be done with 18 participating hospitals across various regions of Malaysia.
Cancer doesn’t wait, so neither should you. Don’t wait. Contact your doctor. Get checked. For more information on the ‘New Normal, Same Cancer’ campaign and screening vouchers, please refer to: www.newnormalsamecancer.org
List of participating hospitals to choose from:
- Bagan Specialist Centre
- Beacon Hospital
- Borneo Medical Centre
- Darul Makmur Medical Centre
- Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur
- KPJ Puteri Specialist Hospital
- Mahkota Medical Centre
- National Cancer Society Malaysia Cancer & Health Screening Clinic
- Nilai Medical Centre
- Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh
- Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur
- Penang Adventist Hospital
- Putra Medical Centre Alor Setar
- Putra Specialist Hospital Melaka
- SALAM Specialist Hospital Kuala Terengganu
- Sri Kota Specialist Medical Centre
- Subang Jaya Medical Centre
- Sunway Medical Centre
So, I hope that everyone will take this issue seriously and will take the opportunity to start screening. I already had my check up this year, and Alhamdulillah it seems all clear from the scan and also pap smear test. But yes, I do need to take care of my health and eat clean to ensure my body is in a great condition to take of my kids.
Don't forget to take care of your health everyone and do your screening today!
About the ‘New Normal, Same Cancer’ campaign
Co-created with global patient coalitions, New Normal, Same Cancer was developed in response to widespread concerns among patient groups about the long-term impact that disruption to cancer care services will have on current and future cancer patients. The campaign has launched in over 67 countries and reached more than 1.6 billion people across the world.
AstraZeneca co-created the global campaign in collaboration with global patient advocacy groups, including: ABC Global Alliance, Global Colon Cancer Association, International Kidney Cancer Coalition, Lung Cancer Europe, World Ovarian Cancer Coalition and World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition.
About National Cancer Society Malaysia
The National Cancer Society of Malaysia (Persatuan Kanser Kebangsaan Malaysia), (NCSM), is the first not-for-profit cancer organisation in Malaysia that provides education, care and support services for people affected by cancer and the general public. Established in 1966, we are a tax-exempt charity body registered under the laws of the Malaysian Societies Act and Registrar of Societies Malaysia. The Society was founded by the late Dato’ Dr S.K. Dharmalingam, Malaysia’s first oncologist, and was launched by then Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late YAB Tun Abdul Razak. NCSM is now under the distinguished patronage of His Royal Highness Sultan Paduka Seri Sultan Perak Darul Ridzuan, Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah. The Society is financed entirely by contributions and donations from the public. We provide holistic cancer–related services to cancer patients, caregivers and the public through our five centres – Cancer and Health Screening Clinic, Nuclear Medicine Centre, Resource and Wellness Centre, Quit Smoking Clinic and the Children’s Home of Hope. For more information please visit: https://cancer.org.my/
About Lung Cancer Network Malaysia
Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM) is a non-commercial, national level disease-centric non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated solely and exclusively to addressing all aspects and all stages of lung cancer here in Malaysia including preventative strategies, screening of high-risk individuals, diagnosis, staging and treatment with both a curative and palliative intent. Our multi-disciplinary network includes highly trained medical specialists (from the public and private healthcare sectors) and allied healthcare professionals including dietitians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and psychologists. LCNM seeks to improve outcomes through advocacy, education and awareness for both the Malaysian public and primary care (general practice) doctors. We aim to promote evidence based scientific recommendations in an unbiased and easily understood manner to help patients and their families, doctors and other caregivers better navigate their treatment journey.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in four therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.
Co-created with global patient coalitions, New Normal, Same Cancer was developed in response to widespread concerns among patient groups about the long-term impact that disruption to cancer care services will have on current and future cancer patients. The campaign has launched in over 67 countries and reached more than 1.6 billion people across the world.
AstraZeneca co-created the global campaign in collaboration with global patient advocacy groups, including: ABC Global Alliance, Global Colon Cancer Association, International Kidney Cancer Coalition, Lung Cancer Europe, World Ovarian Cancer Coalition and World Pancreatic Cancer Coalition.
About National Cancer Society Malaysia
The National Cancer Society of Malaysia (Persatuan Kanser Kebangsaan Malaysia), (NCSM), is the first not-for-profit cancer organisation in Malaysia that provides education, care and support services for people affected by cancer and the general public. Established in 1966, we are a tax-exempt charity body registered under the laws of the Malaysian Societies Act and Registrar of Societies Malaysia. The Society was founded by the late Dato’ Dr S.K. Dharmalingam, Malaysia’s first oncologist, and was launched by then Prime Minister of Malaysia, the late YAB Tun Abdul Razak. NCSM is now under the distinguished patronage of His Royal Highness Sultan Paduka Seri Sultan Perak Darul Ridzuan, Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah. The Society is financed entirely by contributions and donations from the public. We provide holistic cancer–related services to cancer patients, caregivers and the public through our five centres – Cancer and Health Screening Clinic, Nuclear Medicine Centre, Resource and Wellness Centre, Quit Smoking Clinic and the Children’s Home of Hope. For more information please visit: https://cancer.org.my/
About Lung Cancer Network Malaysia
Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM) is a non-commercial, national level disease-centric non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated solely and exclusively to addressing all aspects and all stages of lung cancer here in Malaysia including preventative strategies, screening of high-risk individuals, diagnosis, staging and treatment with both a curative and palliative intent. Our multi-disciplinary network includes highly trained medical specialists (from the public and private healthcare sectors) and allied healthcare professionals including dietitians, pharmacists, physiotherapists and psychologists. LCNM seeks to improve outcomes through advocacy, education and awareness for both the Malaysian public and primary care (general practice) doctors. We aim to promote evidence based scientific recommendations in an unbiased and easily understood manner to help patients and their families, doctors and other caregivers better navigate their treatment journey.
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in four therapy areas – Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.
Cancer survivor sharing memang membuatkan kita akan lebih hargai kehidupan dan kesihatan kita
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