Maybe 2020 is the year you need to get fit and stay healthy.

We're being absolutely serious about this, you guys!

That's because the Health Ministry recently revealed that cancer cases in Malaysia is on the rise.

A rise across the board

Quoting health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Malay Mail reported that the number of new cancer cases recorded in Malaysia from 2012 to 2016 has increased to 115,238 - an increase from 103,507 cases recorded in the corresponding period of 2007 to 2011.

Picking the figures from the second Malaysia National Cancer Registry 2012-2016 five-year report published by the National Cancer Institute, Dr Noor Hisham also noted that the Age Standardised Incidence Rate for cancer stood at 86 cases for every 100,000 male population, and 102 cases for every 100,000 female population.

“The report also stated that the number of cancer cases detected at stage three and four has risen from 58.7 per cent (2007-2011) to 63.7 per cent (2012–2016).

“This is worrying because the findings of the Malaysian Study on Cancer Survival published in October 2018 showed that the later the cancer is detected, the lower the patient’s survival rate will be,” he said in a statement quoted by the news portal.

He said breast cancer topped the chart of 10 types of cancer found among Malaysians throughout 2012-2016, followed by colorectal cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, nasopharyngeal cancer, leukaemia, prostate cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.

For women, breast, colorectal and cervical cancers were the highest, while for men colorectal, lung and prostate cancers were the highest.

Meanwhile, for children aged 0 to 14, leukaemia and spinal cord cancer are rampant while lymphoma is mostly detected in youths aged 15 to 24.

While these figures may sound depressing, the report also revealed some good news: the number of cervical cancer cases has dropped from eight to six for every 100,000 female population in Malaysia.

We guess it’s high time we make some serious lifestyle changes, guys!