KOTA KINABALU: The Health Ministry is taking significant steps to ensure that cancer-related services are readily available to patients residing in the rural regions of Sabah.
Dr Flora Chong, the head of the Radiotherapy and Oncology Department at Sabah Women's and Children's Hospital (HWKKS), highlighted three institutions offering oncology services in the state, namely the Nuclear and Radiotherapy Medical Centre, KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital, and Gleneagles Hospital Kota Kinabalu.
The Regional Nuclear and Radiotherapy Medical Centre, managed by HWKKS, is a public facility in the state capital.
Dr Chong explained: "For patients in rural areas, oncologists hold visiting clinics at various hospitals around Sabah, including Tawau Hospital, Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan, Keningau, Labuan, and Lahad Datu.
"These visits occur once every two months, but doctors are available for consultations via phone, email, and teleconferences."
She also noted that 12 oncologists serve in public and private hospitals across Sabah.
Patients needing radiotherapy are transported to the cancer centre, while chemotherapy and certain systemic therapies can be administered at smaller hospitals throughout the state.
Dr Chong, who serves as the organising chairperson of the 34th Annual Scientific Congress of the Malaysian Oncological Society, shared these insights during a press conference held after the event's launch at the Sabah International Convention Centre.
Prominent figures, including the State Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Christina Liew, Dr Ros Suzanna Ahmad Bustamam, the Head of National Radiotherapy and Oncology Services at the Ministry of Health, and Dr Muthukkumaran Thiagarajan, the Honorary President of the Malaysian Oncological Society attended the press conference.
Dr Chong further highlighted that the oncology services offered by public hospitals in Sabah had seen significant improvements, with the addition of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) since September of the previous year.
HWKKS director Dr Marcus Netto mentioned that the hospital has plans to acquire a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan machine in two years, aiming to enhance their services.
About 20 out of the 1,444 new cancer patients in Sabah have to travel outside the state to access PET scan services for diagnosis and monitoring.
Dr Netto also acknowledged two primary challenges faced by the cancer centre: staffing and the high cost associated with replacing medical equipment that has been used for over a decade.
Between 2012 and 2016, Sabah reported a total of 8,818 new cancer cases.
The age-standardised incidence rates were 94.8 for males and 111.1 for females per 100,000 population.
Kota Kinabalu recorded the highest cancer cases, followed by Sandakan and Tawau.
The five most common cancers reported were breast, colorectal, lung, lymphoma, and cervical cancer.