Published: Tuesday March 19, 2013 MYT 7:18:00 PM
Unhealthy habits contribute to breast cancer
KUCHING: Unhealthy habits, including smoking and poor dietary consumption, may increase the chances of breast cancer among women by 45 percent, Normah Medical Specialist Centre gynecologist Dr Alvince Abraham said on Tuesday.
He said every three minutes a woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer, which was the most common form of cancer among women in Malaysia..
"Women in the country should break the gender barrier and not be ashamed of having regular medical check ups, such as mammography examination, pap smear test, and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination being provided for 13-year-old girls at Government hospitals," he told reporters after delivering a talk on breast cancer awareness, organised by the Sarawak State Library here.
He lauded efforts taken by the Government to provide assistance in helping women to fight the ailment in the form of free health facilities.
All women should take advantage of these facilities, including health screenings, to detect cancer at an early stage, so that more procedures could be done to slow its spread. - Bernama