A new study suggests that cases of lung cancer are on the rise in Bangladesh, with the number of smokers and air pollution levels rising.
According to the latest Hospital Cancer Registry Study, there is near 200% rise in the country’s lung cancer number in just three years.
The report also claimed that from January 2015 to December 2017, a total of 76,543 new patients attended the outpatient department of the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH).
Of them, 35,369 patients were confirmed or had provisional diagnosis of cancer to be included in the final analysis.
A total of 5,887 people with lung cancer were admitted to the hospital in these three years.
The figure was 1983 in 2014, as per the report, indicating a nearly 200% rise in cases in just three years.
“Lung was the leading site of cancers in men followed by breast cancer in women — 24.7% men were admitted with lung cancer and 5.2% women.”
“Besides, 4,998 breast, 2,719 cervix, 1,582 oesophagus, 1,366 stomach, 1,224 liver, 1,177 lymphoma, 1,054 rectum, 884 cheek/oral mucosa and 485 gallbladder cancer patients received treatment from 2015 to 2017 at the NICRH,” the report stated.
“77.2% of patients did not receive any kind of cancer treatment before attending NICRH,” it added.
On the other hand, the data of the 2014 cancer registry report showed that lung was
the main site of cancers in both sexes. Some 27.4% women died from breast cancer in Bangladesh, while 17.9% from uterus cancer in 2014.
Experts attribute the rising cancer cases to an increase in the number of smokers and air pollution levels in Bangladesh.
Dr Md Habibullah Talukder, head of Cancer Epidemiology Department at NICRH, said: “Smoke from factories and exhaust from vehicles are the two leading causes of cancer in Bangladesh. Immediate steps are needed to reduce pollution.”
“One-third of cancer patients in Bangladesh are admitted to hospital. We don’t know about the rest of the patients. The government must take initiatives to protect people from the disease and improve treatment facilities. If a cancer is identified at the first stage, then patients will recover fast. So, awareness among people is also needed,” he added.
