Women more prone to cancer than men in Bangladesh: Study

Women in Bangladesh have been suffering from different types of cancers, one of the leading causes of death in Bangladesh at present, more than men.

A recent study found that out of the total cancer patients surveyed, 59.5 percent are women and 40.5 are men.

Women are also more likely to get cancer at an early age than men.

According to the study, in the last year, 150,071 people have been diagnosed with cancer in Bangladesh and 108,138 of them died.

Among the cancer patients, 84.8 percent are adults and 25.2 percent are children while 31.9 percent of women have been suffering from cancers of reproductive system.

Besides, out of the male patients, 10.2 percent have urinary bladder cancer, 9.9 percent prostate cancer and 7.5 percent oral cancer while among females, 23.3 percent are affected by breast cancer, 21.5 percent by cervical cancer and 7.9 percent by oral cancer.

Another study conducted on 1,657 people based on the hospital cancer registry found that nearly 75 percent of the patient are adults while cancer among girls are being diagnosed from the age of 15, among males the age is 20.

Health Directorate officials said Bangladesh has a unique National Cancer Control Strategy and Plan of Action 2009-2015 formulated with the assistance of WHO with an objective to develop and implement a continuum of cancer care through a comprehensive cancer control program.

ARR