Early breast cancer diagnosis saves lives, cuts treatment costs: experts

Leading health experts at a conference today focused on early diagnosing of breast cancer to save lives as the killer disease is detected at an advanced stage in most cases due to lack of awareness and social stigma.

Many factors including late detection and limited access to healthcare facilities are associated with the rise in breast cancer patients in Bangladesh, they told the 4th Bangladesh Breast Cancer Conference-2022 in a city hotel.

Bangladesh Society for Breast Cancer Study (BSBCS) organized the conference, where locally and internationally famed physicians participated, reports BSS.

Professor of Medicine and Surgery of Brown University in USA Dr Don S. Dizon addressed the inaugural function of the conference as the chief guest while Director of National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital Prof Dr Swapan Kumar Bandyopadhyaa and Line Director of Non Communicable Disease Control Programme of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) spoke at the function as the special guests.

BSBCS President Professor Dr Qamruzzaman Chowdhury, its Vice president Dr Md Salim Reza and Patron of BSBCS Prof Dr Sanawar Hossain addressed the conference.

Dr Don S. Dizon said breast cancer has turned out to be one of the top category cancers and has ranked as the third deadly on the list for both men and women in Bangladesh.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), 65.5 percent of breast cancer patients are delayed in their diagnosis by more than six months due to unawareness of the people, improper screening and poor socioeconomic infrastructure and atmosphere, which is uprising incidents in Bangladesh.

Dr Amin blamed formalin mixing adulterated foods for alarming rise of all types of cancer including breast cancer. He said the government will formulate new planning and strategy through incorporating risk factors and ensuring specialized healthcare facilities to fight against cancer.

Dr Qamruzzaman said, "Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring in women worldwide and also in Bangladesh. Treatment of breast cancer requires multimodality approaches like surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and immunotherapy."

Doctors from all these sectors need to work in collaboration to offer the best management plan to breast cancer patients, he added.

Dr Sanawar said, "Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women in Bangladesh and a hidden stress, accounting for 6.6% of cancer-related death.

Bangladeshi women aged between 35 and 44 have the maximum risk of getting breast cancer, he added.

Other speakers laid emphasis on launching massive campaign to create mass awareness to remove social stigma on breast cancer and developing skilled manpower urgently is needed to provide better healthcare facilities to cancer patients.

The DGHS sources said over 12,000 patients are newly diagnosed with breast cancer each year and mortality rate has increased to nearly 7,000. There are three cancer hospitals in Bangladesh and the government will set up five more cancer hospitals in the country very soon, it added.