KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 21 -- A trace of blood in the stool, a mild stomach ache, and a persistent urge to pass motion. Most Malaysians would dismiss these as haemorrhoids or a simple stomach upset

But these seemingly harmless symptoms are often the first warnings of colorectal cancer, Malaysia's most common cancer among men and the second most common among women, warned Dr Jothinathan Muniandy, a consultant general and colorectal surgeon at Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre.

According to the Malaysia National Cancer Registry Report 2017-2021, about 70 per cent of colorectal cancer cases are only diagnosed when the disease has already reached stage three or four. "By then, treatment becomes tougher and survival drops sharply. This is a ...