Male smokers in Sabah with lung cancer among highest

Kota Kinabalu: Lung cancer cases among male smokers in Sabah are among the highest in the country.Family medicine specialist at the Menggatal Health Clinic, Dr Mohd Nazri Mohd Daud, said in Sabah the most common type of cancer among men is lung cancer, while for women it is breast cancer.

"Most may not know this but lung cancer cases among men caused by smoking are among the highest in Malaysia.

For women, they usually get lung cancer through secondary smoke, but still lung cancer is among the top five types of cancer among women in Sabah.

"If we look at the situation in the peninsula, the trend on female smokers is nearly the same as men, and Sabah is heading towards that. But as I said, passive smoking is still the main cause of lung cancer among women," Dr Nazri said during a cancer awareness programme held at the Menggatal Community on Sunday.

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"That's why the relevant authorities are taking preventive measures by expanding the non-smoking area. But these measures are not complied and taken seriously."

He said the measures were not meant to make life difficult for smokers but to protect the non-smokers as "we all know, smoking increases the risk of getting cancer".

Even more worrying is that public awareness on cancer is low in the State, he added.

"I think the awareness to do early cancer check-up or screening is low mainly due to the lack of knowledge although health clinics provide systematic screening programmes.

"And that's why we have to organise something today's (Sunday) awareness programme," he said.

Earlier, Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir, in his speech read by City Hall (DBKK) Deputy Director-General (Operations) Joannes Solidau, commended the programme jointly organised by Menggatal Township Neighbourhood Watch, Sabah Cancer Volunteers Association, Menggatal Health Clinic and Blood Bank of Tuaran Hospital.

A blood drive was also held, apart from free health screenings and talks during the programme.

"This is a meaningful programme as it is an effort to help those in need, especially when we were made to understand that hospitals are facing a critical shortage of blood supply.

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"Even though there is an increase in the number of blood donors, there are still many of us who still haven't made blood donation as part of their lifestyle," he said, adding most still harbour a negative perception on blood donation.

Donating blood is not only beneficial for the community but also for the donors themselves, he stressed. Also present were Advisory Panel Chairman of the Menggatal Health Clinic, Tong Chong Ming, Coordinator for the Sabah Cancer Volunteers Association, Lawrence Imui, and Deputy Chairman of the Menggatal Township Neighbourhood Watch, Lukin Taliban.

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