Raising awareness about breast cancer

Internationally, October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And in Bangladesh, October 10 is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Day. It is a day that aims to increase knowledge of how we can help beat one of the most common cancers among women. However, the number of breast cancer patients is increasing every year in the country. More than 13,000 women in our country are infected with breast cancer, while over 7,000 die of the disease every year, according to data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Rapid urbanisation, working 10-12 hours a day, having fast food more than thrice a week, obesity, and excessive use of cosmetics are some of the increasing trends that can lead many women to develop breast cancer. If you are aware of all these issues, it is possible to reduce the risk of breast cancer to a great extent. The incidence of breast cancer among women is rising day by day. However, if you can prevent it in advance or if you are aware of the risks and can change your lifestyle, this fatal cancer will stay away from you.

According to a study, we need at least one cancer centre for every one million people. As such, some 160 cancer treatment centres are required to be set up across the country. But at present there are only 20 centres across the country. The number cannot be said to be adequate at all. Due to social stigma and prejudices, many women here do not want to talk about their breast problems. As a result, the disease is discovered in most cases in the third or fourth stage. So, we have to raise awareness among women so that they become more careful about their health, particularly about the risk of breast cancer.

Ashikujaman Syed,

Research Assistant,

Bioinformatics Research Lab,

Center for Research Innovation and Development (CRID),

syedashikujaman@yahoo.com