Blood cancer kills 10,000 B\\\'deshis a yr, seminar told

Some 10,000 people die of blood cancer and blood-related diseases every year in Bangladesh, a seminar was told Monday, reports UNB.
The lone bone marrow transplantation centre that opened at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital last year can't cope with the growing number of blood cancer patients, said some speakers at the seminar.
It was organised by Bangladesh Society for Haematology at Dhaka Club.
Chaired by Dr Md Abdul Aziz, the seminar was addressed by pro-vice chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof M Shahidullah Sikder, Prof Brig Gen (Retd) AKM Mustafa Abedin of Centre for Women and Child Health and Prof Col (Retd) Dr Abdul Hai of East West Medical College.
Dr Rahul Bhargava, head of Haematology Department of Artemis Hospital, India, also addressed the seminar through Skype.
Prof Shahidullah Sikder blamed the rise in blood cancer in the country on environment pollution, contaminated food, overuse of some medicines, radiation as well as excessive use of harmful ingredients.
In his keynote presentation, Dr M Salahuddin Shah said 3 to 5 per cent patient of nearly two million cancer patients across the world suffer from blood cancer.
He said about 4.6 per cent of Bangladesh's population are afflicted with Thalassemia while about 10 per cent people are carriers of the disease