Improving access to breast cancer screening

BREAST cancer remains the most common cancer among Malaysian women, accounting for over 30 per cent of all female cancer diagnoses.

Approximately one in 20 women in Malaysia will face a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, according to the World Health Organisation's Globocan database in 2022.

While early-stage detection yields a five-year survival rate exceeding 90 per cent, the Malaysian National Cancer Registry Report highlights that nearly half of all breast cancer cases in Malaysia are diagnosed at late stages (stages three and four), where five-year survival rates drop drastically.

Financial constraints, limited access to healthcare services and low awareness continue to prevent many women, particularly those in underserved and B40 communities, from accessing timely breast cancer screening.

To address this gap, Homesoy has joined forces with National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) under the "Stop That Dot Together" campaign to enhance early breast cancer detection and health awareness among underserved communities.

This partnership will support community health screening activations at selected locations nationwide and sponsor 100 mammograms to help lower-income women access crucial early detection services.

NCSM managing director Professor Dr Murallitharan Munisamy says financial limitations and lack of localised access remain the biggest reasons why women from underserved communities delay breast cancer screening.

"Our collaboration with Homesoy enables NCSM to bring mobile clinical check-ups directly to housing communities and fund 100 free mammograms through the Adopt-A-Mammogram Programme.

"Ensuring equal access to early detection tools is essential because a woman's socio-economic status should never determine her chances of surviving cancer," he says.

The Stop That Dot Together campaign encourages women to prioritise their health and break down fears associated with breast cancer screening.