For men, an enlarged prostate can be one of the earliest warning signs that something is wrong—yet it, along with symptoms like difficulty urinating, is often brushed off as a normal part of aging.
In Malaysia, prostate cancer ranks as the third most common cancer among men. As the nation shifts toward an aging population, more men will face increased risk. Alarmingly, nearly three-quarters of cases are diagnosed at advanced stages, where complications are more severe, treatment options are limited, and survival rates drop significantly.
“Prostate cancer is insidious: it’s often silent and frequently ignored until it’s too late,” explains Professor Dr. Tan Guan Hee, a consultant urologist at Sunway Medical Centre. “Size does matter here. An enlarged prostate or urinary symptoms should prompt a check-up, not a shrug. Assuming it’s just aging can delay diagnosis and lead to worse outcomes.”
Dr. Tan points to data from the Malaysian Study on Cancer Survival, which shows that the five-year relative survival rate for stage 4 prostate cancer is only 43.2%—a stark reminder of the cost of late detection.
Critical gaps persist in how Malaysian men manage their prostate health. These include delayed recognition of symptoms, where urinary changes or an enlarged prostate are often ignored rather than investigated. Many cases are only caught when the disease is advanced, partly due to limitations in conventional imaging, which may miss small or early spread of cancer cells (metastases). Low awareness of advanced diagnostic and treatment options also plays a role.
Addressing these gaps is crucial, especially as Malaysia’s population ages. “When patients are diagnosed early, their survival chances and quality of life improve dramatically,” notes Dr. Nik Muhd Aslan Abdullah, a consultant clinical oncologist at Sunway Medical Centre. He emphasizes the challenge of encouraging men to seek help before the disease becomes aggressive and spreads to the bones.
On the treatment front, a promising innovation is theranostics—a dual approach combining targeted imaging with targeted therapy. Alongside greater awareness and screening efforts, theranostics could help reverse current trends: it can detect what conventional methods might miss and improve both the quality and length of life after treatment, even for those with advanced or metastatic cancer.
READ MORE
Low T? 5 Best Supplements to Regain Vigor Naturally
Philips Secures FDA Clearance for New Prostate Cancer Navigation System
Prostate Test Kit Market to Double by 2034: Early Checks Key
