In Malaysia, it is also the most common cancer nationwide. In conjunction with the theme of this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Malaysia is set to reinforce its prowess as a Cancer Care Centre of Excellence in the region.

Since its first cancer treatment center opened its doors in 1981, Malaysia has achieved international recognition for its quality of care. Recently, the country was proclaimed second in the care and delivery of cancer treatment in the Asia Pacific and the third-most prepared country overall by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Time is of the essence when it comes to cancer treatments. This is an especially important consideration for healthcare travelers. The good news is that the healthcare establishments in Malaysia are committed to providing seamless and efficient oncology care.

“Our Breast Care Centre, which is a one-stop center for screening, diagnosis, and treatment, is able to provide the diagnosis within 48 hours. In fact, here, you can get everything you need under one roof - from imaging and mammograms to treatments - in a very short span of time,” said Dr. Patricia Alison Gomez, a Consultant Breast Surgeon at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, before citing intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) as a relatively recent development that can shorten the treatment time significantly.

This will be more convenient for cancer patients, as instead of having to wait for a month or possibly longer, they can complete their treatment in just 10 to 14 days.

According to Dr. Teoh Mei Shi, a Breast, Endocrine, and General Surgeon at Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre, “IORT is a revolutionary radiotherapy system that is used for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer for select cases. As the name suggests, this is actually a radiation therapy that is administered simultaneously during tumor removal surgery. The benefit of IORT is that just a single therapy dose is needed, whereas the conventional external beam radiotherapy method requires three to five weeks.”

An integral part of ensuring seamless oncology care is the synergy of a multidisciplinary team that prioritizes the well-being of the patient.

“At Subang Jaya Medical Centre, we have a team of specialists, ranging from breast surgeons and oncologists to radiologists and pathologists, lined up, in addition to treatment modalities and investigative tools to treat breast cancer at every stage.

We even have specialized breast care nurses to help patients understand their treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation phases. Tumour board meetings are held regularly to discuss cases and reach a collective decision on patient management,” shared Dr. Daphne Anthonysamy, the Consultant Breast and Endocrine Surgeon there.

With advancements in oncology treatments, the side effects have been significantly reduced. “Take chemotherapy, for example. Today, we can offer a wide range of treatments to limit side effects. In fact, most patients experience minimal nausea or vomiting nowadays.

Beyond that, there are also scalp cooling treatments to prevent hair fall and certain cold treatments that can protect nerves from chemotherapy damage. Therefore, most patients are able to complete chemotherapy and go back to living a full life,” explained Dr. Kiley Loh, a Consultant Medical Oncologist at Penang Adventist Hospital.

With a vast range of oncology services that include ground-breaking imaging and cancer detection technologies on offer, Malaysia Healthcare is moving forward steadily as the Cancer Care Centre of Excellence. This is further reinforced by the country's excellent healthcare system, which makes it easier for healthcare travelers to obtain comprehensive cancer care promptly in a safe and trusted destination.

ABOUT THE MALAYSIA HEALTHCARE TRAVEL COUNCIL

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) is a government agency under the Ministry of Health Malaysia that has been entrusted with the responsibility of curating the country’s healthcare travel scene.

Founded in 2009, MHTC works to streamline industry players and service providers in facilitating and growing Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry under the brand “Malaysia Healthcare” with the intended goal of making Malaysia the leading global healthcare destination. MHTC works closely with over 80 private healthcare facilities in Malaysia, who are registered members of MHTC.