New Straits Times

Thursday, 30/06/2011

Call to screen all food products for cancer-causing agents
By Chong Chee Seong

THE Health Ministry is being urged to screen thoroughly all food products that could cause cancer.

The Muar Cancer Support Association (Casa) wants the government to ask all food producing factories in the country to screen their products for chemicals that could cause cancer. This was among the resolutions approved by Casa at its annual general meeting on Sunday.

The other resolutions called for the Health Ministry to set up oncology and palliative care units, and to rope in more cancer specialists from Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Baru to visit the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital in Muar.

Muar Casa chairman Dr Lau Keen Lee said the association which is the first of its kind in the district, had drawn up weekly visits to homes of about 30 cancer patients to cater to their needs since January this year.

"Cancer patients today are not shy to ask for help. They want to know about new treatments," he said.

Dr Lau said one of Muar Casa's objectives was to give moral support to cancer patients and their families.