Colon Cancer Screening Community Project 2011
October to December 2011
The 2011 Colon Cancer Screening Community Project aimed at spreading the awareness on colon cancer among 3 underprivileged communities in the Selayang and Gombak areas. Some 20,000 residents at PPR Intan Baiduri, PPR Taman Wahyu and PPR Taman Prima Selayang will be reached with the message that early detection is key to tackling colon cancer.
The Project is in its second year running. The maiden programme last year in Sentul was a success and led to lives being saved through early detection of colon cancer. This year, the project has been expanded to include more communities and a detailed and elaborate blueprint has been outlined to encourage greater participation.
EMPOWERED! has been working with the community leaders to implement this project in three phases:
Pre-Selection
Residents aged 50 years and above and those with a family history of colon cancer are invited to register for the screening program. Registration is conducted at the respective flats and the registered patients are given information about the date and venue of the screening programme workshop. Data on their medical history and diet are collected in a form by the registrars.
Workshop
The workshop, which will be held on 20 November 2011 at PPR Taman Wahyu Community Hall, will educate the residents about the importance of healthy living, eating well and colon cancer screening. They will be instructed on how to use the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kit that will be distributed during the workshop.
Results and Counselling
The used FIT kits will then be collected and sent for processing. Patients that have abnormal test results will be channeled for a follow-up colonscopy at appointed screening hospitals. Counselors will individually contact and arrange for personal counseling sessions for patients that have abnormal test results. This will be done at their respective homes. For patients confirmed with cancer, a second meeting is set up by the counselors to discuss options moving forward for medical and financial support.
The project kicked off with a briefing to the community leaders of PPR Intan Baiduri, Taman Wahyu and Taman Prima Selayang. Several subsequent meetings were held to finalise the project
Training sessions were organized for over 200 volunteers at Dewan Taman Wahyu in mid October
Registration took place over two weekends. 600 residents from the three communities turned up and register.
The project was officially launched on 16 November. the Guest of Honour was YBhg Dr.Lokman Hakim bin Sulaiman, Deputy Director-General of Public Health, Ministry of Health. (See Press Release)
A workshop was held on 20 November 2011 at the Dewan PPR Taman Wahyu. FIT kits will be distributed and after collection, the kits to be sent to the lab for processing.
EMPOWERED!'s partners in the project are:
- Lembaga Penduduk dan Pembangunan Keluarga
- Negara,Rumah Amal Cheshire Selangor
- MAKPEM
- Institut Kesihatan Umum, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
- Persatuan Kebajikan Generasi Gemilang
- Yellow House Society of Kuala Lumpur
- Stoma Society of Malaysia
- Malaysian Enterostomal Nurses Association
- Malaysian Physiotherapy Association
- The Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition Society of Malaysia
- International Medical University
- University Malaya School of Nursin
- University Malaya Medical Center
- Sunway Medical Center
- Red Crescent Selangor Branch
- Segi University College
- PPR Intan Baiduri
- PPR Taman Wahyu
- PPR Taman Prima Selayang.
The sponsors of the project are:
- Padiberas Nasional Berhad
- Hwa Tai Industries Berhad
- YHL Trading (KL) Sdn Bhd
- Permanis Sdn Bhd
- Astra Zeneca Sdn Bhd
- Kyowa Kirin
- Eli Lilly (M) Sdn Bhd
- Lee Foundation
- Prince Court Medical Center
Media Articles
- 9 November 2011 Bernama 2,900 Malaysians Affected By Colon Cancer Annually
- 15 November 2011 Projek komuniti saringan barah usus

