The National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) and the Malaysian Society of Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH) jointly organised the first Technical Working Group Meeting on Occupational Cancer on the 13th December 2019. Dr Abed Onn and Prof Dr Victor Hoe, council member of the Academy of Occupational & Environmental Medicine Malaysia were present at the meeting. The other members included representatives from the Society of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), the Social Security Organization (SOCSO), the Occupational Safety & Health Unit of Hospital Kuala Lumpur and the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
The meeting was initiated as there were a limited number of occupational cancer notified to DOSH or being compensated by SOCSO over the past few years. Although, the burden of occupational cancer has been estimated to be much higher based on the occupational hazards exposure in the country.
The TWG identified a few main issues; e.g., recognising occupational cancer, notification of occupational cancer, communication with workers, patients and healthcare practitioners; these issues will be further look in to in future meetings. The meeting is the first step in mapping future directions towards reducing the burden of occupational cancer in this country.
