BRACU holds seminar to raise awareness on prostate cancer

BRAC University's (BRACU) School of Pharmacy organised a seminar, poster presentations and a quiz competition on the Merul Badda campus in Dhaka on Thursday to educate students about prostate cancer, especially about the importance of diagnosing the disease, according to a press release.
Dr Arman Reza Chowdhury, senior consultant, Radiation Oncology, Evercare Hospital, was the keynote speaker of the event, co-organised by student club BRAC University Pharma Society with support from the Office of Co-Curricular Activities and Everest Pharmaceuticals Limited marking Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
Prostate cancer begins when cells in the prostate gland, which is found only in males, start to grow out of control. Symptoms include problems urinating, including a slow or weak urinary stream or the need to urinate more often, especially at night, and blood in the urine.
Factors that can affect prostate cancer risk are older age, family history, diet, obesity and lifestyle and men aged 45 to 50 years should undergo routine screenings, said Dr Chowdhury. Cases of prostate cancer are gradually rising in South Asia, he said.
"Prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in men worldwide, after lung cancer. Prostate cancer accounted for about 14.2 per cent of newly diagnosed male cancer cases globally in 2022," he said.
"Prostate cancer grows slowly and if patients receive proper treatment even at the advanced stage, they can live a normal life for a long time," Dr Chowdhury added.
Prostate cancer treatment in Bangladesh is of very high quality, he also said.
"Several leading pharmaceutical companies are already marketing prostate cancer drugs in our country, which are available at affordable prices and patients are benefiting from using them," said Dr Chowdhury.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Syed Ferhat Anwar said, "It is important for all of us to have regular health check-ups. Concealing the disease or being ashamed of it can turn detrimental,"