Lung, breast cancers most prevalent

Lung cancer was found to be the most prevalent condition among male cancer patients at Dhaka's National Institute of Cancer Research from 2018 to 2020, revealed a study.

In contrast, breast cancer was most common among female cancer patients, according to the "Cancer Registry Report", which was shared at an event at the hospital yesterday.

During that period, 42.6 percent, or 35,733 patients out of 83,795 screened, were cancer patients.

Dr Md Jahirul Alam, associate professor at the institute's epidemiology department, presented the cancer registry data.

In general, lung cancer was the most prevalent condition, around 17.4 percent, followed by breast cancer (13.4 percent), cervical cancer (10.9), oesophageal cancer (4.9), stomach cancer (4.3), liver cancer (3.9), lymphatic gland cancer (3.8), colon cancer (3.1), throat cancer (3) and gallbladder cancer (1.5).

Considering sex, 17.4 percent of the male cancer patients were diagnosed with lung cancer, while 29.3 percent of females were breast-cancer patients.

Speaking as chief guest, Prof Samiul Islam Sadi, director (administration) at the health directorate, said, "We should rethink whether our bad habits like smoking is causing cancer."

Stressing on building capacity to control cancer, he urged policymakers to take the issue seriously.

"One of the big reasons behind overall higher treatment costs in our country is the financial burden cancer puts on patients. The state should put more attention here. While medical science has enormously progressed, we are still lagging behind," he said.

About the under-construction cancer hospitals in eight divisional headquarters, he said, "Still we have a big gap… We need to train our workforce."

Speaking at the event, Prof Robed Amin, director of the non-communicable disease control unit at the health directorate, stressed on a "population-based" study to know the nationwide cancer prevalence.

"There has been no nationwide study since the World Health Organization's one in 2013. We have requested it to do another. [Because], it is important," Prof Robed said.

He said, "There is a huge gap between the required and existing diagnostic capacity in the country."