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Kota Kinabalu:  Data shows that the number of colon cancer cases in Malaysia can be reduced if regular colonoscopy screenings are conducted.

The report indicates that for every 100,000 people in any part of Malaysia, there are approximately 10 to 15 cases of colon cancer, said Prof Dr Raja Affendi Raja Ali.

Affendi is the the Dean and Professor of Medicine and Consultant Gastroenterologist at the School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University.

“The majority of them will be diagnosed at an advanced stage of three or above,” he told reporters at the recent Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (MSGH) GUT 2024, held at the Sabah International Convention Centre.

The two-day meeting was launched by Deputy Chief Minister II, Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam.

Efforts are being made to diagnose the cancer at a very early stage, which can improve life expectancy through treatment made possible by screening, he said.

He noted that about 90 per cent of colon cancer cases are contributed by environmental factors, while genetic components contribute only five to 10 per cent.

“Sometimes patients ask how high or low their fibre intake is.

“It is known that the recommended daily allowance is about 20gm per day, which is equivalent to eating 14 pieces of apples per day,” he said.

 MSGH President-elect, Prof Dr Ida Normiha Hilmi, said that she was involved in a project to raise awareness of the top cancers to the public and general physicians.

They found that most patients with rectal bleeding were not referred to doctors in time.

“If you’ve got severe abdominal pain, if you’re losing more weight than normal, or if you’ve got bleeding, please seek a doctor. 

“Because there is a chance that this could be colorectal cancer,” advised Ida, who is also a Professor and Senior Consultant in Gastroenterology at Universiti Malaya.

According to Ida, the main causes of colon cancer include a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as smoking, obesity, eating too much processed food and a high meat diet, among others.

She emphasised that people should be discouraged from eating unhealthy food.

President of MSGH and Head of the Department of Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Dr Raman Muthukaruppan, said that GUT is an annual scientific meeting catering to the needs of doctors practising gastroenterology and hepatology.

“We deal with diseases of the entire gastrointestinal system.

“We perform endoscopies to diagnose and treat illnesses of the stomach, intestine, diagnosing cancers, treating peptic ulcers, and so on.

“So that’s endoscopy. We also see a lot of hepatitis B and C, and liver cirrhosis and cancers on the rise.

“Inflammatory bowel disease is becoming more and more common nowadays, which is a big part of our daily work,” Raman said.