Dzulkefly Ahmad says only 184 cancer specialists are serving nationwide, including 65 in government hospitals.
Dzulkefly said his ministry was taking a cluster-based approach to expand nationwide access to oncology services, as the number was not enough to meet growing demand.
“The 184 oncologists nationwide (based on 2025 data) mark an increase of 60% compared with 2019. Of that number, 65 serve under the health ministry and 107 in the private sector, while the rest are still in training.
“The ideal ratio of doctors we are targeting has not yet been achieved. That is why I am emphasising an approach where specialists in major hospitals can support district hospitals or facilities without permanent specialists,” Bernama reported him as saying at a World Cancer Day 2026 event at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in Kuala Lumpur today.
Dzulkefly said cancer remained the third highest cause of death in Malaysia, with new cases at a stable rate of about 40,000 a year.
He said although the figures showed a flat trend, his ministry would continue to intensify early screening and prevention efforts, especially for breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancer.
He also said statistics department data showed that cancer contributed to 14.3% of all deaths in 2024, up from 13.8% in 2023. - FMT
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