Prime Snippets: Malaysia Healthcare Provides Holistic Prostate Cancer Care
With prostate cancer being the second most common type of cancer in Singapore, getting routine check-ups is essential. However, while screening is important, the difficult part – emotionally, physically and financially – comes after the diagnosis.
Malaysia’s healthcare offerings are not just targeted on one component of cancer care, they encompass the provision of comprehensive, efficient and quality care across the spectrum – from screening to diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment care.
While it is suggested that men get tested regularly for prostate cancer starting from the age of 50, Dr Malwinder Singh Sandhu, an oncologist at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur (PHKL), advises for those with a strong family history of prostate cancer to commence screening much earlier.
According to him, one of the highlights of Malaysia’s healthcare system is the commitment of the country’s medical establishments to keep abreast with the latest technologies. “At PHKL, we take pride in providing evidence-based, value-driven outcomes for our patients. Among others, we employ advanced radiation therapy techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT), stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and the Gamma knife, as well as the most recent systemic therapies, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy,” he said.
Cognisant of the fact that healthcare travellers would prefer faster and reduced hospital visits, Catherine Lee May Ling, the Director of Cancer & Radiosurgery Centre Imaging Services at Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) outlines another aspect of Malaysia Healthcare in terms of quality care combined with efficient treatments in a shorter span of time.
“With the availability of the latest technologies, we are able to reduce patient visits to the hospital, offering the same quality of treatment to cure or control the cancer, but within a shorter period of time,” she said.
Dr Chong Kwang Jeat, a Consultant Clinical Oncologist for Mahkota Medical Centre further highlighted the degree of efficiency of Malaysia’s oncology care services, citing cancer testing as an example. “For cancer tests, we normally get results within a few hours or can conduct a histopathology examination during surgery. In fact, our surgeons can perform a frozen section procedure when the patient is still under anaesthesia. Sometimes, the surgeons will remove the tumour while the patient is still sleeping and send the specimen to the laboratory to confirm whether it is cancer or not.”
With Malaysia being just across the Causeway, healthcare travellers from Singapore will find it easy to access Malaysia Healthcare’s oncology offerings.
“Healthcare travellers from Singapore will be able to receive top-notch oncology care while still being close to home. Due to the cultural, historical and language similarities between Malaysia and Singapore, they will also be able to communicate easily, whilst eschewing additional anxiety to an already stressful process. We look forward to welcoming them to Experience Malaysia Healthcare in a safe and trusted destination,” said Mohd Daud Mohd Arif, the Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC).
Find out more about Malaysia Healthcare’s oncology offerings at: https://youtu.be/zP9MZ35Xfv0
For more information on Malaysia Healthcare and its services, please visit https://malaysiahealthcare.org/ or visit our social feeds at: www.facebook.com/MHTCMalaysia or at LinkedIn (Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council).
