Lung cancer on the rise in Bangladesh: Report

Lung cancer cases are on the rise in Bangladesh, with the rise in the number of smokers and air pollution levels. This inference can be drawn from the latest Hospital Cancer Registry Report that has recorded nearly a 200 per cent rise in the country's lung cancer burden in just three years, reports UNB.
According to the report, unveiled earlier this month, "From January 2015 to December 2017, a total of 76,543 new patients attended the outpatient department of the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH). Of them, some 35,369 had confirmed or provisional diagnosis of cancer and they were included in the final analysis."
A total of 5,887 people with lung cancer were admitted to the hospital in these three years. The figure was 1983 in 2014, as per the report, indicating a nearly 200 per cent rise in cases in just three years. "Lung was the leading site of cancers in men followed by breast cancer in women -- 24.7 per cent men were admitted with lung cancer and 5.2 per cent women."
"Besides, 4,998 breast, 2,719 cervix, 1,582 oesophagus, 1,366 stomach, 1,224 liver, 1,177 lymphoma, 1,054 rectum, 884 cheek /oral mucosa and 485 gall bladder cancer patients received treatment from 2015 to 2017 at NICRH," the report stated, adding that 77.2 per cent patients did not receive any kind of cancer treatment before attending NICRH.
On the other hand, the data of the 2014 cancer registry report showed that lung was the main site of cancers in both sexes. In 2014, the report claimed, some 27.4 per cent women died ofbreast cancer in Bangladesh, while 17.9 per cent from uterus cancer.
Experts attribute the rising cancer cases to an increase in the number of smokers and air pollution levels in Bangladesh. "Smoke from factories and exhaust from vehicles are the two leading causes of cancer in Bangladesh. Immediate steps are needed to reduce pollution," DrMdHabibullahTalukder, head of NICRH Cancer Epidemiology Department, said.