The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

Some 10 lakh people have been suffering from various kinds of cancer in the country while around two lakh is being added to the figure every year. Associate Professor Dr. Dayem Uddin of the Department of Radiotherapy of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital disclosed this and added, "Of the patients around 1.5 lakh die every year".

He was addressing a press conference arranged on the occasion of an awareness rally run by a cancer-survivor from Tetulia of Panchagarh district to Dhaka via Rajshahi at Hotel Aristocrat here on Thursday.

Sanofi Aventis, a multinational pharmaceutical company, and National Sports Council (NSC) jointly arranged the rally titled 'Flame of Hope: Relay of the Life Torch" in ahead of the Olympic Day Run-2008 was celebrated on Friday. Cancer-survivor Shirin Akter, who started the run from Tetulia last Wednesday and expected to arrive capital Dhaka on Saturday morning, described her experience during illness at the press conference along with another survivor Asfi Raihan, a teacher of Rajshahi Government City College. Main objective of the run is to create and enhance awareness about the disease and leading normal life after successful completion of treatment.

Professor Dayem said about one lakh women are being infected with uterus cancer and 25,000 others with breast cancer every year. He, however, said cancer is not infectious disease and the patient can lead normal life with other family members. In this context, Dr. Dayem said most cancers like breast, lung and uterus have been found as curable. Terming the management of early stage of breast cancer as most successful and effective, he said if the disease can be detected at early stage then it could be cured completely.

Late marriage and early marriage with excessive intercourse and pregnancy, confirmed bachelor, apathy to breast feeding, excessive consumption of tobacco, narcotics and alcohol and fatty health condition are the risk factors of the disease. Similarly, he said building confidence among the patients side by side with treatment is helpful for recovery from the disease while food-habit change and early diagnosis have been detected as precautionary measures.

The discussion was told that around 15,000 women suffering from breast cancer die in the country yearly due to lack of early detection.

Concerted efforts of all concerned especially the patients, cancer experts and other medical practitioners are very essential to create awareness among the mass people in this regard. NSC Deputy Director Badar Uddin and Sanofi representative Ashraful Haque also spoke on the occasion.