Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The number of blood cancer cases in Indonesia is on the rise, prompting growing concern among health professionals. Recent years have seen a steady increase in diagnoses, with leukemia emerging as the most prevalent form.
According to the Global Cancer Observatory (Globocan), Indonesia recorded 13,959 new leukemia cases in 2022, followed by 3,289 cases of multiple myeloma and 1,294 cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Dr. Nadia Ayu Mulansari, a hematology-oncology specialist at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) in Jakarta, confirmed the alarming trend.
“The number of blood cancer patients is surging. The most common types we’re seeing are leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma,” she said during the 2025 Siloam Oncology Summit in Jakarta on Saturday (May 17), as reported by CNN Indonesia.
Dr. Nadia explained that these three types of blood cancer affect different age groups. Multiple myeloma typically occurs in individuals over 50, often complicating treatment due to comorbidities.
Leukemia, however, is more common in younger patients, including children. Lymphoma, she noted, affects both young and older adults, with cases fairly evenly distributed.
Childhood blood cancer cases have also been climbing. Data from Globocan 2020 showed 11,156 cancer cases among children aged 0–19 in Indonesia, with leukemia accounting for the largest share at 3,880 cases, or roughly 34.8 percent. Lymphoma followed with 640 cases, about 5.7 percent.
Despite the high number of cases, pediatric cancer survival rates in Indonesia remain low. WHO data from 2021 reported that fewer than 30 percent of child cancer patients in Indonesia survive, largely due to late diagnoses.
Early symptoms often mimic common illnesses and go unnoticed such as fatigue, pale skin, recurring fevers, or frequent nosebleeds, leading many to seek treatment only when the disease has advanced.
“There’s often a delay in recognizing leukemia because its early symptoms resemble those of common conditions,” said Dr. Nadia.
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The Indonesian Ministry of Health estimates that over 400,000 people globally are living with blood cancer, with more than 10,000 cases in Indonesia, many involving children.
Overall, cancer cases in Indonesia are rising sharply. In 2022 alone, there were 408,661 new cancer cases reported and 242,099 cancer-related deaths.
The growing numbers underscore the urgent need for early detection, public education, and equitable access to treatment across the country. Dr. Nadia emphasized the importance of raising awareness of early symptoms and expanding hematology-oncology services in underserved areas.
“If we can catch it early, the patient’s survival chances increase significantly. But if they come too late, it becomes a much bigger challenge for us as doctors,” she said.
(Raidi/Agung)
