Dhaka: The number of cancer patients is on the rise in Bangladesh due to food habits, unaware lifestyle, and the negative impact of industrialization and technology.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated the number of cancer patients to be more than 1.5 million, mostly affecting children and teenagers.
According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, about one-third of cancer patients are children and adolescents aged between 1 to 19 years. Predominantly, these are children aged between 15 to 19 years. On the other hand, about 13 percent of children are affected by cancer before reaching the age of four years. Additionally, one percent of children are affected between the ages of 10 to 14 years, and two percent fall within the 5 to 9-year age group.
Experts have identified environmental hazards in city life, chemical reactions in food, and genetic factors as the main causes of cancer. Dr. SM Rezanur Rahman from the Child Hematology and Oncology Department of Dhaka Medical College indicated that genetic reasons are major contributors to cancer. A family history of cancer may pose a risk for subsequent generations. He also pointed out that environmental pollution, food habits, and an undisciplined lifestyle are significant contributors to the disease.
The BBS survey highlights that males are mostly affected by cancer after birth, while women are more frequently diagnosed in their older age. The prevalence of cancer differs between urban and rural areas, with the ratio of affected children in city areas being about 27 percent higher than in villages.
Professor Dr. AKM Amirul Morshed Khasru from the Paediatric Haematology and Oncology Department of DMC conducted research into types of cancer affecting children and teenagers. The study found that leukemia is the most common, affecting 31 percent of cancer patients, followed by brain and spinal cancers at 26 percent, and lymph cancer at 10 percent. Additionally, five, six, and seven percent of patients are affected by renal, neuroblastoma, and soft tissue cancers, respectively. Other affected areas include bone, germ cell, and various other cancers.
Dr. Khasru claimed that dietary habits and the use of technology in industrial areas are key factors contributing to cancer. However, he emphasized that most cancer patients can be cured and may lead normal lives if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage.