<i>'17,000 women die of breast cancer a year' </i>

Nearly 22,000 women are attacked with breast cancer each year in the country and of them, about 17,000 die, a discussion was told yesterday.
Mirpur Ahsania Mission Cancer Detection Centre and Hospital (MAMCDCH) organised the discussion on the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month that began on October 1.
Speaking as the chief guest at the discussion, Health and Family Welfare Secretary Sheikh Altaf Ali stressed the need for creating social awareness about breast cancer.
“Emphasis will have to be given on awareness campaign than treatment in the country, home to 15 crore people,” he said.
Altaf also underscored the need for walking regularly and changing food habit side by side with proper care and nurture of breasts.
The secretary called on the students of schools, colleges and universities to take special programmes in creating awareness about breast cancer.
“We will have to raise awareness in our society for taking education about well protection of breasts, self-checking and detection of the disease at the beginning,” he said.
Eminent singer Sabnam Mushtari opened the month-long campaign.
With MAMCDCH Director Brig Gen (retd) Dr Syed Fazley Rahim in the chair, the discussion was also addressed, among others, by Project Director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital Dr Syed Md Akram Hossain.
President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Kazi Rafiqul Alam and Adviser of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Cancer Hospital Mohammad Ali were present on the occasion.
Other speakers at the discussion said most of the women are not aware of breast cancer and they cannot observe changes in their breasts and feel shy to take advice of doctors.
“To check breast cancer, every woman should check her breasts by herself from the age of 20,” they opined.