By the time a cough becomes impossible to ignore, the window for the most effective treatment may already be closing. In Malaysia, lung cancer statistics tell a sobering story. In 2017–2021, the proportion of cases diagnosed at late stages (Stages 3 and 4) rose compared with 2012–2016, increasing from 93.5% to 95.4% for men and from 92.3% to 94.3% for women. “Most of the time, lung cancer does not have any significant symptoms, but rather, general, non-specific symptoms like malaise and tiredness. Detecting the cancer early actually outweighs whatever radiation you’re exposed to from the scans,” said Dr Soo.

Source: The Star January 11, 2026 05:14 UTC