Health Bureau (SSM) Disease Control and Prevention Centre Chief Leong Iek Hou told reporters yesterday that the number of new cancer cases and the incidence rate in Macau are gradually increasing compared to a decade ago, while the mortality rate has decreased by nearly 18 percent over the same period.
Yesterday’s one-hour press conference was held at the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre (CHCSJ), which was also attended by SSM Director Alvis Lo Iek Long, Areia Preta Health Centre Chief Chou Mei Fong, SSM family medicine physician Lei Sao Kuan, and CHCSJ Oncology Department Chief Peng Xiang Hong.
According to Dr Leong, in 2023, the top three cancers by incidence in Macau were lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer. The number of new cancer cases reached 2,445, with 1,201 cases in males and 1,244 cases in females. In the same year, the top three cancers by mortality were lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and liver cancer. The total number of cancer deaths was 874, Dr Leong said.
According to Dr Lo, cancer has consistently ranked as the leading cause of death in Macau, posing a significant threat to residents’ health. In 2023, Dr Lo said, the age-standardised incidence rate for all cancers in Macau was 238 per 100,000 people, with a standardised mortality rate of 85.
Dr Lo underlined that his bureau has been actively promoting cancer prevention through the principles of “early prevention, early identification and early treatment,” which have yielded positive results, as reflected in the overall declining trend in cancer mortality rates in Macau.
Dr Lo pointed out that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one-third of all cancers are preventable. In recent years, the bureau has actively promoted vaccination efforts related to cancer prevention, Dr Lo said.
Over the past three years, according to Dr Lo, the inoculation rate for the third dose of the hepatitis B vaccine among infants under one year old has exceeded 97 percent. Additionally, the proportion of girls who have completed the two-dose regimen for the cervical cancer vaccine before the age of 15 has also surpassed 90 percent, Dr Lo said.
According to Dr Chou, the bureau will launch a comprehensive cancer screening platform on the “Macao One Account” app starting today, which will integrate the existing screening programmes for four major cancers – breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer – providing convenient and efficient cancer prevention services to the public.
After accessing the platform, according to Dr Chou, the system will automatically filter suitable screening options based on the user’s gender.
Dr Chou said that the platform will automatically indicate eligibility based on age, such as colorectal cancer screening currently targeting citizens aged 50 to 70, the relevant option will appear greyed out or trigger a prompt for those outside this age range.
According to Dr Peng, the average age of onset for cancer patients in Macau is around 50. Most oncology patients receive treatment at the day treatment centre, which accommodates an average of about 100 patients daily.
Dr Peng also stressed that Macau’s medical resources are centralised, its residential area is compact, and patients exhibit high compliance and low mobility, resulting in a follow-up rate for oncology patients that can exceed 95 percent.
Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long (centre) speaks during yesterday’s press conference at the public Conde de São Januario Hospital Centre (CHCSJ) as SSM Disease Control and Prevention Centre Chief Leong Iek Hou (second from left), SSM’s Areia Preta Health Centre Chief Chou Mei Fong (second from right), SSM family medicine physician Lei Sao Kuan (left) and CHCSJ Oncology Department Chief Peng Xiang Hong look on. – Photo: Armindo Neves
