Live Desk: Around 10 types of cancer diseases, including lung and breast cancers, have been dominating in Bangladesh, creating a burden for the country’s health facilities Health experts and different reports said 10 types of cancer diseases have been affecting people in the country for the last few years while lung and breast cancers remain at the top among others.

The hospital-based cancer registry report 2018-2020 of the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) said 83,795 cancer patients attended OPD of the hospital during the three years. Of them, 35,733 or 42.6 per cent had confirmed or provisional diagnoses of cancer.

The report said ten types of cancer patients were diagnosed during the time while the number of patients with lung cancer was the highest in both men and women as 17.4 cancer patients were diagnosed with lung cancer.

Mentioning that 16,187 or 45 per cent were male and 19,546 or 55 per cent were female cancer patients reported during the registry, the report said the number of lung cancer patients was highest in males and the number of breast cancer patients was highest in females.

The ten types of cancer diseases included lung cancer, breast cancer, Cervix cancer, Oesophagus cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer, lymph node cancer, rectum cancer, cheek or buccal mucosa cancer and gall bladder cancer.

The report said among male cancer patients, 5,200 or 26.6 per cent were reported with lung cancer while among female cancer patients,                4,747 or 29.3 per cent patients were reported with breast cancer.

The report said lung cancers occupied the first place in male patients (1,837 or 28.3 per cent). Then, it mentioned the Oesophagus (451 of 7.0 per cent), stomach (349 or 5.4 per cent), liver (322 or 5 per cent), lymphoma (275 or 4.2 per cent), rectum (197 or 3 per cent), tongue (150 or 2.3 per cent), glottis (144 or 2.2 per cent), bladder (132 of 2 per cent) and larynx (119 or 1.8 per cent) cancers.

Among females, carcinoma of the breast leads the tally (1615 or 30.9 per cent) followed by the cervix (1462 or 27.9 per cent), lung (359 or 6.9 per cent), cheek/buccal mucosa (207 or 4 per cent), oesophagus (179 or 3.4 per cent), liver (154 or 2.9 per cent), stomach (148 or 2.8 per cent), rectum (147 or 2.8 per cent), gall bladder (143 or 2.7 per cent) and lymphoma (96 or 1.8 per cent).

The majority of the patients who attended OPD of NICRH were from Dhaka division (3923 or, 33.5 per cent) and next from Chattogram division (2658 or 22.7 per cent). The other divisional representations are as follows: Barishal (1316 or 11.2 per cent), Mymensingh (1161 or 9.9 per cent), Khulna (1039 or 8.9 per cent), Rajshahi (804 or 6.9 per cent), Rangpur (485 or 4.1 per cent) and Sylhet (337 or 2.9 per cent).

Mentioning that the patient of 0-18 years is considered as a paediatric group, it said 2.9 per cent of the patients were paediatric patients although the actual number might be much higher. Some 21.8 per cent of the cancer patients were geriatric patients or aged 65 years and above, the report added.

Talking to the Daily Sun, Prof Dr Md Habibullah Talukder, former head of the epidemiology department at the NICRH, said the report is based on only one hospital but it can give a perception of the total cancer situation of the country as the NICRH is lone specialised cancer hospital of the country.

“From the available cancer registry report, we got a perception that around ten types of cancer diseases are dominating in our country while around 32 types of cancer can affect people. However, this report definitely will help the authority to take cancer control measures,” he said.

Habibullah Talukder said reports of population-based and hospital-based cancer registries across the country are needed to know the exact scenario. “But based on the available report, the authority has to take measures to control the cancer disease in the country immediately,” he added.

The cancer epidemiologist further said developing appropriate national strategies, plan of action and programmes is urgent to control cancer effectively.

Prof Dr Robed Amin said the government will update the National Cancer Control Strategy and will apply it to control cancer disease in the country.

The health ministry said the government is working to set up specialised cancer hospitals in eight divisional cities of the country in a bid to ensure proper cancer treatment for people.

Dhaka, 26 December (campuslive24.com)// BIT