Nazir Razak shares experience on battle with prostate cancer

Astro Awani
November 1, 2020 16:22 MYT

Nazir Razak said the stigma against prostate cancer need to be addressed so that more people, especially among the Malays, could talk more openly on any issues related to sexual function. AWANI file pic

KUALA LUMPUR: In conjunction with the Men's Health Awareness Month campaign which is celebrated every November, Datuk Seri Nazir Razak came forward to share about his struggle after successfully recovering from prostate cancer.

Nazir, as the trustee of the University of Malaya (UM) Urological Cancer Trust Fund led by Professor Datuk Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman jointly launched the #onlymencan campaign nationwide.

Citing a report in The Star newspaper, he reportedly received a prostate cancer diagnosis in October 2018 after undergoing a medical examination for insurance purposes.

"I thought long and hard to discuss my experience openly. I finally decided that I should do it.

"I think this move will encourage others to follow in the hope that this topic will no longer be a taboo," Nazir said in the newspaper report.

"My blood test showed that my prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was high, so the doctor was worried and sent me for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) which showed pictures of some tumors," he explained.

He said the last test confirmed that there was cancer, but it did not spread outside the prostate.

However, the biopsy result of the also showed that the Gleason score of prostate cancer stage found the cancer to be aggressive and likely to spread rapidly.

"When told that I might have cancer based on the PSA and MRI, it was a big shock, especially when I felt healthy.

"However, I immediately read and found that the possibility of overcoming it is still high, as long as it does not spread," added Nazir.

He stressed that the stigma against prostate cancer need to be addressed so that more people, especially among the Malays, could talk more openly on any issues related to sexual function.

In Malaysia, more than 60 per cent of prostate cancer cases are detected at the final stage, compared to about 20 per cent in the United States and 25 per cent in Singapore.

#Nazir Razak #Men's Health Awareness Month #Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman #onlymencan #PSA #MRI #prostrate cancer #Malaysia