The Crime Desk: Every year, 12 thousand 764 women are newly diagnosed with breast cancer in Bangladesh, and 7 thousand 135 die due to a lack of awareness. The related experts said that the risk of death from breast cancer is increasing only because people are not able to detect it quickly. They say breast cancer can be detected by itself. And 90 percent of breast cancer can be prevented if caught in the early stages.
Experts say that the number of women suffering from breast cancer is increasing day by day due to religious bigotry, prejudice, shame, and a lack of awareness. In addition, the risk of breast cancer increases due to eating habits, age, being overweight, and taking hormonal drugs for a long time. Women themselves are the biggest testers for breast cancer detection. Women can be aware of this by examining their breasts three to four days after each period. If you have any problems, consult a doctor. Only then can breast cancer be prevented.
They say the death rate is alarming compared to breast cancer. It was not possible to make women aware of this disease at the grass-roots level. If you are aware of the risk of breast cancer, it is possible to prevent this disease. In order to raise awareness about breast cancer, it is necessary to involve community clinics in patient identification, inform people about breast cancer detection methods through publicity, and create national policies for breast cancer diagnosis and prevention.
According to Global Cancer Statistics 2018 (GloboCan), 20 lakh, 88 thousand, 849 women are newly diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Surprisingly, now is the time for men to be aware too. Because breast cancer is also occurring in men. However, the incidence of breast cancer in men is very low. As a result, 41,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year, compared to only 300 men.
Breast cancer has the highest mortality rate in women. The incidence rate among female cancer patients is 23.9 percent, and the death rate is 16.9 percent. And according to the statistics of the World Health Organization in 2014, 140,000 new cancer patients were diagnosed in the total population of Bangladesh. Among them, 41 thousand women died due to cancer.
Head of the Cancer Epidemiology Department of the National Cancer Research Institute and Hospital Habibullah Talukder Raskin said that an abnormal mutation of BRCA-1 and 2 genes is responsible for breast cancer. Also, the risk is higher even if someone’s mother, aunt, older sister, or daughter has breast cancer. However, the overall cancer diagnosis and treatment system in Bangladesh is insufficient. There is no national strategy, action plan, or program for breast cancer prevention, early detection, or cancer screening.
The 11th ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Day-2023’ will be celebrated across the country on Tuesday, October 10. In 2013, the ‘Bangladesh Breast Cancer Awareness Forum’ started working on breast cancer prevention. On October 1 of that year, prominent doctors and social workers announced the celebration of this day on October 10 every year in Bangladesh.
During the last 10 years, including during the COVID-19 epidemic, this day has been observed in various parts of the country by the initiative of the forum and its member organizations through educational institutions, workplaces, or area-based awareness discussions, processions, and the distribution of informative leaflets written in Bengali. This day will be celebrated across the country, with special emphasis on breast cancer risk and protection, early detection, and screening. Like last year, this year also protested ‘Screening saves life’. Apart from awareness, motivating women for screening is now a big challenge. A discussion meeting will be held on this occasion at 9:30 a.m. in the new auditorium of IEDCR (adjacent to the old Directorate of Health). The ‘Golapi Road Procession’ will be inaugurated at 11 a.m. in the direction of six districts of Greater Mymensingh.
Prof. Shubhagat Chowdhury, Dr. Halida Hanum Akhtar, former health secretary AFM Sarwar Kamal, prominent musician Samina Chowdhury, public health expert Dr. Mushtaq Hossain, Dr. Benazir Ahmed, Dr. Abu Jamil Faisal, and officials of the Department of Health and Health Education will participate. 10 journalists will be given mementos of appreciation for their special role in breast cancer awareness.
