EMPOWERED, The Cancer Advocacy Society of Malaysia, the nation’s youngest cancer voice celebrated World Lung Cancer Month in November with a bang that certainly reverberated and echoed across the nation. Led by Founder and President, Consultant Medical Oncologist Dr. Christina Ng, the Society took to the community of Seri Perak in Sentul Raya Kuala Lumpur and spread much needed awareness about lung cancer, its prevention and treatment. True to the Society mantra, EMPOWERED once again ventured into the interiors of society to display their commitment to reach out to the pockets of society that no one often turns to, bringing much needed awareness and education to people who equally matter. The event was also jointly organised by MAKPEM–National Council of Welfare and Social Development Malaysia, DBKL(Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur) and the Residents’ Association of Perumahan Awam Seri Perak.

Present at the function was MAKPEM’s President, Dato Setia Amar Segera Dato Haji Halim bin Haji Ibrahim, with Dr. Chong Chee Kheong, Director of Disease Control from the Ministry of Health.

The entire event was a testimony to the World Lung Cancer Month commemoration that is happening internationally, to recognise a highly prevalent cancer that carries the highest cancer related mortality worldwide. A slew of reasons attribute to the increase in lung cancer prevalence, the leading cause stemming from smoking and the ill effects of second hand smoke. It is these stark statistics that spurred the Society to work under its platform to ‘Say NO to Smoke, YES to LIFE’! The tagline underscores the importance that the Society places in its call to attempt to make Malaysia say ‘SAYA BOLEH’ to quit smoking by trying to stay Smoke Free for a week during World Lung Cancer Month. Indeed if smokers in the country heed this advice, then the Society will achieve its objectives to open the eyes and ears of the nation to respond as one in mind and heart.

More and more of corporate Malaysia are joining the bandwagon to remain Smoke Free as many corporations and small companies alike are beginning to address and inculcate Smoke Free workplaces. EMPOWERED is doing its part and have started a viral video challenge called the “EMPOWERED Balloon Challenge” that gets people everywhere and anywhere to demonstrate healthy lungs, and thereby Say NO to Smoke by blowing into a balloon. This simple act is slowly but surely catching on as corporations and individuals have joined the chorus to resoundingly say “NO to Smoke and YES to LIFE”!

Much has gone into the Sunday event initiated by EMPOWERED. Teams of medical students assisted to work with the visitors while medical professionals and companies came together under the Society umbrella to share resources and professional expertise, with a common vision to disseminate crucial information to the Seri Perak Sentul Raya community. Medical facts were available everywhere as Seri Perak dwellers woke up on a Sunday to stake their claim to the vital information access dished out to them freely in an elaborate educational booth display. Fun and engaging 5-minute tutorials were delivered at all 12 educational booths on display at the event. These 12 booths offering specific public assistance and awareness messages stole the thunder of the event as they professionally communicated the essence of the disease. A Specialist Booth was also set up to allow EMPOWERED’s team of medical specialists to deliver one-to-one consultations and focused counseling on how to quit smoking

The 12 educational booths offered vital information and support based on the following topics as follows:

i. How Do Lungs Work
ii. What is Lung Cancer, its Types, Risk Factors and Stages
iii. What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Lung Cancer
iv. Screening and Treatment of Early Lung Cancer (Surgery)
v. Treatment of Advanced Lung Cancer- Chemotherapy
vi. Treatment of Advanced Lung Cancer- Radiotherapy
vii. Hazards of Smoking- Stroke and Cardiac Diseases
viii. Be Smart – Stay Away from Tobacco Products
ix. Stop Smoking ‐ Focus on Non‐Pharmaceutical Approach
x. Stop Smoking – Focus on Pharmaceutical Approach

The presence of young vibrant children at this event brought great energy and atmosphere on this day. Some of them aged 5 to 12 and aged 13 to 17 also participated in an exciting poster and photographic competition with a ‘No-Smoke in my Community’ theme. Out of the many creative and vibrant works produced, winners of the artwork competition were chosen and crowned as ‘Ambassadors’ for No-Smoke in their respective communities. It was good to see these children embrace the theme and learn from a tender age to say No to Smoke! The day ended with an accomplished sense of the attainment of the set objectives to engage community to Say NO to Smoke and YES to LIFE!

A week before the event, volunteers and EMPOWERED staff took to the streets of the community to knock on thousands of doors to invite them to attend the event organized solely with community residents in mind. It is selfless efforts like this that is much needed in Malaysia, cutting across race, religion and creed to exemplify a ‘One Malaysia’ spirit to serve each other from sickness to wellness. With the ongoing efforts seen in the Society’s dynamic online platform, coupled with an engaging attempt to make Malaysia participate in the “EMPOWERED Balloon Challenge” which demonstrates healthy lungs, the Society hopes to move into the next frontier to truly make a difference in Malaysia.

EMPOWERED’s Founder and President Dr. Christina Ng shares, “There are ongoing major breakthroughs in the way lung cancer is being identified and targeted on a molecular level. With accessibility to biomarker testing and molecular profiling tools, medical professionals are now able to scientifically predict the appropriate treatments to deal with specific lung cancer molecular subtypes, thus offering targeted therapies. With such revolutionary breakthroughs, lung cancer patients stand a better chance to fight their disease more effectively with a better prospect for improved disease outcomes and improved quality of life”.

Dr.Ng further elaborated, “At EMPOWERED, we are devoted and dedicated to take pertinent messages about lung cancer to Malaysians. We see our role as supplementary and complimentary with what is happening with the advancements regarding lung cancer. It is this very reason that we plough on to make friendly inroads into under-resourced Malaysian communities who value and treasure contemporary updates on the disease. We call on Malaysians to help us realize these noble intentions, that together we can do more... that with a unified approach more ground can be covered”.