What Makes Oncology Treatment in Malaysia A Favourable Choice For Healthcare Travellers

What Makes Oncology Treatment in Malaysia A Favourable Choice For Healthcare Travellers 

A cancer diagnosis, regardless of its type or stage, can have a profound impact on an individual’s life.  The long journey of acceptance, treatment and healing may affect their finances, physical or mental well-being or even relationships with their loved ones. 

The days ahead with this deadly disease can be one of the hardest ones and more often, one may experience despair, loneliness, fear and confusion. Building our own health literacy from credible sources such as doctors, should be the first ideal step one can take to improve their quality of life.

According to the World Health Organization, 10 million people around the world still die from cancer every year, positioning itself to be the leading cause of death in the world among all noncommunicable diseases [1]. 

The number of cancer patients may appear daunting. However, good news can be found in the form of survival rates, which have steadily increased over the past few decades. For example, back in the 70s, the 5-year cancer survival rate was at just 12%, but fast forward 50 years later, the overall 5-year survival rate for all cancers now stands at 67% based on statistical figures reported in Our World in Data [2] [3].

This is mainly due to public awareness, early detections and significant improvements to healthcare systems. 

Malaysia: The Cancer Care Centre of Excellence

For years, Malaysia has played an important role as a regional hub for healthcare, be it in the field of fertility, cardiology, aesthetics or orthopaedics. With over 120 medical and clinical oncologists in both the public and private sectors, our country is poised as the cancer care centre of excellence in Asia. 

With ground-breaking imaging and cancer detection technologies, more than 30 out of 87 Malaysia Healthcare member hospitals can treat multiple types of cancer, including but not limited to breast, lung, nasopharyngeal, colorectal, prostate, leukemia and lymphoma.

Cancer treatment can be agonisingly expensive, and often, patients who recover are faced with more challenges ahead as they attempt to rebuild their lives with depleted savings. Treatment costs in Malaysia  are strictly regulated by the 13th Fee Schedule of the Private Healthcare and Facilities Act 2006, ensuring costs of each procedure are clearly laid out at affordable prices. This in turn allows healthcare travellers to access world-class cancer treatments without having to fork out first-world medical costs.

Oncology Treatments in Malaysia

Among the oncology procedures that Malaysia Healthcare specialises in are:

1. Tumour Removal

Tumour removal is a surgical procedure in which the oncologist will remove an entire tumour, including a section of the surrounding normal/healthy tissue. This is to minimise the risk of leaving any abnormal tissue behind. Some of the procedures can be invasive while others are not. The type of surgery   depends on a case-to-case basis determined by the surgeon. This procedure is usually meant for localised cancer or to relieve the side effects of patients who fall into palliative treatment. 

1. Radiotherapy



Radiotherapy (also known as Radiation Therapy) uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours by damaging their DNA. There are 2 types of Radiotherapy; External and Internal. The most common form is through external radiation therapy in which a machine is used to direct high-energy rays at cancer cells.  For internal radiotherapy, a radioactive source is either temporarily or permanently implanted into the cancerous area. Radiotherapy sessions are usually combined with other cancer treatments to fully eliminate any traces of cancerous cells in the patient’s body. 

1. Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy treats cancer with medications that rapidly kill off the cancer cells in the body. It is a systemic therapy; meaning, the medication travels throughout the body. Chemotherapy can be administered either intravenously or through injections. It can also be taken orally or applied topically on the skin.

Chemotherapy is also typically combined with other cancer treatments to make the overall treatment more effective.

1. Immunotherapy

This is a biological therapy which uses substances made from living organisms to boost the patient’s immune system in fighting cancer. Immunotherapy is not for everyone and hence specialists will evaluate a patient’s suitability before undergoing this therapy.

For more information, click here and begin your journey on discovering true care with Malaysia Healthcare. 

References: 

[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer

[2] https://www.mytherapyapp.com/blog/cancer-survival-rates-usa

[3]https://ourworldindata.org/cancer-death-rates-are-falling-five-year-survival-rates-are-rising