One-third of all cancers are caused by tobacco and of the tobacco- related diseases 80 percent are caused by smoking, said the cancer experts at a public awareness programme on Prevention of Cancer.
They viewed that cervical, ovary and breast cancers are the foremost causes of cancer related mortality of women in developing countries like Bangladesh. On the contrary, the sufferings caused by the cancer alongside the rate of mortality and morbidity could be reduced to a greater extent through early detection and timely and full- course treatment.
The programme was organised yesterday by Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital to mark the World Cancer Day- 2017.
Addressing the meeting as chief guest at Nanking Darbar Hall in the city, Professor Dr Dayem Uddin, Head of the department, said, “We tend to ignore our own health problems until it develops into a serious problem. In fact, practice of some basic routine including self-examination to detect development of certain unusual growth or change in our body can help avoid major health crisis.”
“Unfortunately, majorities of the cancer patients who come for treatment at advanced stage lack knowledge on how to perform simple but very important self-examination to detect breast cancer at premature stage. Early treatment can completely cure breast cancer but at late stage it is difficult to achieve good results even with chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy and surgical intervention as cancerous cells often spreads (metastasis) fast when there is not much options left,” he added.
Dr Dayem Uddin said apart from smoking that causes lungs cancer, oral cancer is also caused by the use of tobacco products commonly found at low price.
Assistant Professor Dr Ashim Kumar Ghosh and Resident Surgeon Dr Rawshan Ara Begum of the department suggested launching of massive nation-wide campaigns to make women aware of the ‘self-diagnosis’ for breast cancer especially at rural areas where options of clinical diagnostic tests are not widely available.
Dr Dayem Uddin said, “Generally one in every four female cancer patients suffer from breast cancer in the country. Self-examination for breast cancer could greatly benefit the patients.”
