Speakers at an event said approximately 150,000 people suffer from cancer in the country every year, and currently, 60,000 cancer patients receive treatment.
80 per cent of cancer medicines are manufactured in the country, but discrimination persists over the cancer treatment, they added.
The discussants made these remarks at a roundtable titled, “Progress of Bangladesh in cancer treatment and way-out” at the Prothom Alo office in Karwan Bazar on Tuesday.
Prothom Alo organised the event, which was attended by renowned cancer specialists of the country, in association with Everest Pharmaceuticals to mark World Cancer Day, to be observed on 4 February.
At the beginning of the event, Bangladesh Cancer Society director professor MA Hai said rural-urban, men-women, rich-poor, government-private hospitals – discrimination exists over cancer treatment everywhere. No significant progress is visible to eliminate this discrimination, and the National Cancer Control Council exists in papers only, he added.
Former National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) director professor Moarraf Hossen said once physicians treated cancer patients with chemotherapy at their chambers. As many patients vomited because of side effects, other waiting patients escaped from physicians’ chambers out of fear. However, the situation has changed, he added.
Moarraf Hossen said there should be a combined cancer treatment centre for 1 million people. So, 160 such centres are needed for the 160 million population, but there are only 22 such cancer centres in the country.
Breast cancer is increasing fast in the country, Medical Oncology Society in Bangladesh (MOSB) president professor Parveen Shahida Akhtar said 60-70 per cent of cancer patients need radiotherapy, but a few patients receive this treatment. “We cannot tackle the situation by increasing the number of cancer treatment facilities; rather we must emphasize cancer prevention.”
It is necessary to formulate a national policy on cancer prevention and treatment, Chittagong Medical College oncology department head professor Sazzad Mohammad Yousuf said adding that there is a crisis of the cancer detection system and manpower. Many physicians are prescribing cancer medicines despite not being the specialists, and that must stop, he added.
Bangladesh Specialized Hospital senior consultant professor Qamruzzaman Chowdhury said a specialist team comprised of oncologists, radio oncologists, pathologists and surgeons needs to be formed to treat a cancer patient, and this results in better treatment. At present, the medical board called ‘tumour board’ is formed at corporate hospitals to provide accurate treatment, he added.
Speakers said there is no need to go abroad for cancer treatment.
Private BRB Hospital chief consultant (medical oncology) professor Md Mofazzel Hossain said it has become a mania to go abroad to receive medical treatment. The cancer treatment facilities that exist in the country should be decentralised, he added.
The scope of cancer detection and treatment has increased in the country than before, but not all institutions provide treatment properly.
Labaid Cancer Hospital clinical oncologist professor Ehteshamul Hoque said no cancer surgery should be performed without biopsy, but many surgeries are being performed without biopsy.
Several cancer specialists said the price of cancer medicines is lower in the neighbouring country than in Bangladesh.
Former Dhaka Medical College Hospital hematology department chairman professor MA Khan said, “Treatment of all types of blood cancers is available, and I would request everyone not to go aboard for treatment.”
There are 170 blood cancer specialists in the country, bone marrow transplant has begun at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and currently, this treatment is available in Evercare Hospital, Asgar Ali Hospital and Combined Military Hospital while efforts are underway to open this treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital.
Addressing the event, Dhaka Medical College radiotherapy department head Aliya Shahnaz said 11 per cent of cancer patients received by the outdoor patient department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital suffer from ovary cancer. Human papillomavirus, pregnancy at a young age, polygamy, consumption of birth control pills for long, child marriage and unhygienic situations increase the risk of ovary cancer. Social taboos become barriers to cancer treatment, and many patients do not receive treatment out of fear and shame, she added.
She and other cancer specialists emphasised the rise in public awareness of cancer treatment.
It is necessary to formulate a national policy on cancer prevention and treatment, Chittagong Medical College oncology department head professor Sazzad Mohammad Yousuf said adding that there is a crisis of the cancer detection system and manpower. Many physicians are prescribing cancer medicines despite not being the specialists, and that must stop, he added.
Evercare Hospital medical oncologist Ferdous Shahriar Sayed said there is less research on cancer in Bangladesh. Since there is no system to set the standard, it is difficult to talk about cancer treatment or compare it with foreign treatment, he added.
Everest Pharmaceuticals Limited chief executive officer AKM Anwarul Hoq addressed the event at the end. He said 80-90 per cent of cancer medicines were imported in 2015 whereas, after nine years, 80-90 per cent of cancer medicines are now manufactured in the country in 2024.
Besides, Bangladesh exports medicines to 140 countries and 50 per cent of them are cancer medicines, he added.
Prothom Alo associate editor Abdul Quayum conducted the discussion and its assistant editor Firoz Choudhury moderated the event.