DOT Desk: Oncologists on Saturday blamed early marriage and absence of precursor screening for the high incidence of cervical cancer in Bangladesh. But they also expressed the view at a discussion that if diagnosed at the early stage cervical cancer was found to be preventable and treatable in most cases, reports The New Age. March for Mothers, working to raise cancer awareness, organized the discussion with Rotary Club at the National Press Club. Oncologists said that human papilloma virus, a very common virus occurs due to sexual activity causes cervical cancer if not cleared naturally or not screened early before it turns into precancerous lesions. National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital epidemiology head Habibullah Talukdar Ruskin said cervical cancer is the second most common cancer incidence among females in Bangladesh.
causing approximately 6,000 deaths per year.
At least 12,000 new cervical cancer cases are diagnosed every year, he said.
Habibullah said early sexual activity due to early marriage and delayed screen of human papilloma virus were the main causes of high incidence of cervical cancer in Bangladesh.
He said that about 400 hospitals in upazila and district levels have precursor screening facilities but screening was done only when women come to hospitals, mostly after they already developed the deadly malignancy.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University gynecological oncology professor Sabera Khatun said the human papillomavirus is a very common virus caused by intercourse, but almost 90 per cent of human papillomavirus is cleared naturally by women’s immune system.
But persistent infections by the virus lead to the development of precancerous lesions that can gradually cause cervical cancer in about 10 years, she said.
She said precancerous lesions could be diagnosed and removed using simple procedures known as ‘Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid’.
The virus can remain dormant for long without any clinical symptoms before it turns into cancer, she said.
She said that this virus could be identified only by precursor screening.
Sabera said that the administration of cervical cancer vaccine before their first sexual intercourse provides life-long protection to adolescent girls from cervical cancer.
But the vaccination is not among the vaccines in the national immunization programme, she said.
Women already entered into conjugal life, need to get screened once every five-year, she said.
Sabera said over 30 million women aged 30 to 60 need screening to find out whether or not they are suffering from cervical cancer.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital oncology professor Swapan Bandyopadhyay said that only two forms of cancer – cervical cancer and colorectal cancer – could be diagnosed before they turn into cancer.
‘Mass awareness and available screening facilities must be used to get rid of these forms of cancer,’ he said.
Singer Samina Chowdhury said mostly marginalized and backward women suffer cervical cancer.
She called for mass screening in the rural areas to diagnose patients at the dormant stage.
Cervical cancer is the most common malignancy among females in Bangladesh and other developing countries mainly due to lack of precursor screening facilities.