PETALING JAYA: Cancer became the third most common cause of death in Malaysia in 2022, rising from fourth place in 2021, according to the Malaysia National Cancer Registry’s (MNCR) 2017-2021 registry report.
The report also said that the percentage of cancer cases detected at stages three and four increased to 65.1% in 2021, a trend the health ministry said was a cause for concern as delayed cancer detection is linked to lower survival rates.
“Malaysia witnessed a notable increase in cancer cases reported from 2017 to 2021, partly due to the implementation of the new notification system and circular directive,” the report said.
According to analysis by gender, men saw the most cases of colorectal cancer, followed by lung and prostate cancer.
“Among women, breast cancer had the highest incidence, followed by colorectal cancer and lung cancer,” the report added.