KUCHING: Sarawak has emerged as the highest-enrolling site globally for an early-phase lung cancer clinical study, following the participation of 13 patients who underwent a new minimally invasive bronchoscopic treatment at Sarawak General Hospital.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the achievement was recorded under the EAZE Study, a global clinical research initiative evaluating endobronchial ablation using the Zidan radiofrequency system.
He said the study focused on bronchoscopic ablation, a procedure performed through the airway that avoided open surgery or radiation therapy, offering new treatment options for lung cancer patients.
“This achievement for the early-phase clinical research study was made possible by Clinical Research Malaysia, as well as the dedication, commitment and clinical excellence of the local team.
“Their efforts are putting Sarawak on the map in the global fight against lung cancer. Together, we are advancing medical science and improving lives,” he said in a Facebook statement.
Dr Sim, who is also the Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, said the study was led locally by Dr Kho Sze Shyang, a consultant in respiratory medicine at Sarawak General Hospital.
He said Dr Kho had more than six years of experience in bronchoscopic procedures, which contributed to his appointment as the principal operator for the therapeutic ablation study.
According to an official letter dated Jan 14 from Zidan Medical, Sarawak General Hospital was a participating site in the multicentre, prospective EAZE Study evaluating endobronchial ablation using the Zidan radiofrequency system.
The letter noted that the hospital recorded the highest number of enrolled patients among all study sites during the early phase of the clinical trial.
