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Reply : The National Cancer Society of Malaysia
The National Cancer Society of Malaysia's (NCSM) 'Power Over Cervical Cancer (POCC)'
aspires to provide Malaysian women with a sense of 'power' to do away with cervical cancer.
It aims to educate women on cervical cancer and encourage them to seek advice from their
healthcare professionals for preventive measures. Many women are unaware of cervical cancer
and its available preventive options. POCC equips Malaysian women with more information about
the disease and encourages them to take precautionary steps to protect themselves.
In an effort to encourage public involvement with the POCC campaign, we launched the POCC
Pink Mobile in mid-November. For four weeks, the POCC Pink Mobile will be making scheduled
stops at various locations in the Klang Valley, encouraging as many women as possible to
participate in the Risk Test.
The Risk Test is a discussion tool, which consists of two sections highlighting information on
cervical cancer and a woman's risk to contracting cervical cancer. The Risk Test will be widely
distributed during the POCC Pink Mobile scheduled stops to encourage women to take the test and
bring the result to their healthcare professions for further discussion.
In Malaysia, 19.7 per 100,000 of the female population are diagnosed with cervical cancer
according to the National Cancer Registry in 2003. In the same year, cervical cancer accounted
for 12.9% of all female cancers in Malaysia. World Health Organization (WHO) also reported in
2007 that more than 700 Malaysian women die from cervical cancer every year.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer occurring in women. There are an estimated 500,000
reported cervical cancer cases each year with more than 80 per cent in developing countries. Globally,
more than 270,000 deaths occur each year from cervical cancer. According to the World Health Organization
(WHO), only 41% of women in developing country will get the necessary treatment they need to survive.
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