Cancer causes 12% of annual deaths in Bangladesh, study finds

Highlights:

• 53 new cancer cases per 100,000 people annually
• Data collected via household interviews using web-based software
• 201,668 participants (48.4% male, 51.6% female)
• 46% of cancer cases linked to tobacco use
• 60% of patients received combined treatment

Cancer is responsible for 12% of all deaths in Bangladesh each year, according to a population-based cancer registry conducted by researchers from the Public Health and Informatics Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).

The study found that 53 new cancer cases emerge per lakh of the population annually.

The findings were presented today (1 February) at a programme, titled "Cancer Burden in Bangladesh: Evidence from a Population-based Cancer Registry", at BSMMU's Super Specialised Hospital.

Md Khalequzzaman, associate professor at BSMMU's Department of Public Health and Informatics and the study's principal investigator, presented the findings.

The study was conducted in Kishoreganj's Hossainpur upazila, where data collection began in July 2023.

Researchers conducted face-to-face interviews at every household using a web-based National Cancer Registry software. Follow-up visits started in July 2024.

The study reported a cancer prevalence of 106 cases per lakh population—118 per 100,000 among males and 96 per 100,000 among females.

A total of 201,668 participants from 46,631 households took part in the study, with 48.4% being male and 51.6% female. Researchers identified 38 different types of cancer among the study population.

The study found that 92.5% of cancer patients were aged between 18 and 75 years, while 2.4% were below 18 and 5.1% were over 75. The five most common cancers were breast (16.8%), lip and oral cavity (8.4%), stomach (7.0%), larynx (7.0%), and cervix (5.1%).

Among female cancer patients, 19% had cancers related to the reproductive system, including cervical (11%), ovarian (5%), and uterine (3%) cancers.

Researchers also found that 46% of all cancer cases were linked to tobacco use, with 75.8% of male cancer patients being smokers. The most common co-morbidities among cancer patients were hypertension (17%), diabetes (11%), cardiovascular disease (6%), chronic kidney disease (3%), and stroke (2%).

Regarding treatment, 60% of cancer patients received a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, while 7.4% did not receive any treatment after diagnosis.

A follow-up study conducted from 1 July 2024 to 14 January 2025 covered 58,539 participants from 13,411 households. The most frequently diagnosed new cancer cases during this period were lung (16.1%), liver (12.9%), and larynx (12.9%).

Researchers stressed the need for sustained support to continue the population-based cancer registry.