KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYISA - Bowel cancer is the most common form of cancer in Malaysian men, and the third commonest in women after breast and cervical cancers.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the increasing rate of large bowel cancer among Malaysians was due to people's affluent and sedentary lifestyles and the lack of dietary fibres and physical activity.

He said other important risk factors of large bowel cancer included chronic inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal polyps and strong family history.

"About 13.8 per 100,000 Malaysians are likely to come down with large bowel cancer each year.

"This means that we can expect close to 3,900 cases of large bowel cancer each year from the country's population of 28 million," he told reporters after opening the Gastro-intestinal and Liver Diseases Symposium at Selayang Hospital near here yesterday.

He said 14.5% of all cancers reported among men from 2003 to 2005 were large bowel cancer while there were 9.9% reported cases among Malaysian women.

Among the reported cases, Chinese appeared to have the highest incidence of the disease, at 28.8 per 100,000 Malaysians, followed by Indians (9.9%) and Malays (7.1%), Liow said.

"Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment although there has been tremendous progress in terms of chemotherapy," he added.

"Malaysians are advised to consume more vegetables and fruits in their diet and to be more active physically," he said.

Currently, there are 18 gastroenterologists in 13 Health Ministry hospitals nationwide and another 13 doctors undergoing training in gastroenterology.

"Under the 10th Malaysian Plan, if the financial situation allows, we will be in a good position to strengthen our existing services and expand to the state hospitals like in Kangar, Penang, Kuantan and Kuching," Liow said.

On Influenza A(H1N1), he said there were 20 to 30 cases now with five patients in the intensive care unit.

"It is still a serious issue," he said, adding that the first batch of vaccine would arrive soon.