15/08/2026
Yesterday, I attended a health talk by SunMed on
Understanding Colorectal Cancer 🩺
One of my biggest takeaways was this:
Colorectal cancer is not always beyond prevention. What is truly unfortunate is when it is detected too late.
📌 Some key facts that caught my attention:
👉 In Malaysia, colorectal cancer is the 2nd most common cancer, accounting for about 14.1% of cancer cases from 2017–2021.
👉 Among Malaysian men, colorectal cancer is the most common cancer, and the risk increases significantly with age.
👉 Even more concerning, about 74.9% of male colorectal cancer cases were diagnosed at Stage 3 or Stage 4 during 2017–2021.
🌍 Globally, colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer and the 2nd leading cause of cancer death. By 2040, the number of new cases is projected to reach approximately 3.2 million per year.
Another important point shared during the talk:
More than 90% of colorectal cancers may develop from adenomatous polyps over a period of approximately 10–15 years.
This means there can be an important window of opportunity to detect and remove precancerous polyps before they progress into cancer.
🔎 When should we start screening?
According to the Malaysia CPG presented during the talk, colorectal cancer screening for average-risk individuals is recommended from age 50.
Different screening options are available, including stool-based tests, CT colonography and colonoscopy.
Some international guidelines recommend starting as early as age 45, so the appropriate age and screening method should be discussed with your doctor based on your individual risk.
🧬 Family history matters too.
Not all colorectal cancers are hereditary. However, if colorectal cancer occurs at a younger age in your family, or if several family members have had colorectal, endometrial, ovarian or certain other cancers, it is important to inform your doctor and assess whether you may be at higher risk.
One sentence from the talk stayed with me:
“Colorectal Cancer is Preventable: Screening Saves Lives.”
Sometimes, having no symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is fine.
The purpose of health screening is not to look for illness simply because we feel unwell. It is about giving ourselves the opportunity to:
Detect earlier. Act earlier. Have more options.
As we grow older, perhaps we shouldn’t only ask:
“Do I feel unwell?”
We should also start asking:
“At my age and with my family history, what health screenings should I be doing?”
Prevention is always better than cure. ❤️
Because good health is the foundation for everything else in life.
