‘Community approach ultimate option for effective cancer screening’
The first national conference on cancer screening begins Monday at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University
The first national conference on cancer screening will be held on Monday at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in Dhaka.
Eminent oncology specialists of Bangladesh, along with an expert from the Michigan University, USA will present scientific papers at the conference.
Around 200 people, mostly physicians, will participate in the event organised by the Community Oncology Centre Trust – a voluntary non-profit organisation dedicated to primary prevention and early detection of cancer using a community-based approach.
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Dr Habibullah Talukder Ruskin, associate professor and head of Cancer Epidemiology at the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH), said screening is an essential approach to detect cancer at an early stage.
"A simple non-invasive test or method applied to apparently healthy persons who have no symptoms, but are at the risk of developing any particular cancer, can prevent premature mortality from cancer and improve quality of life," he added.
An organised screening with a community-based approach is the ultimate option for effective screening, said Ruskin, also the conference secretary.
Bangladesh has made significant progress in facility-based unorganised screening of cervical and breast cancer in the last decade.
"Let's review and explore further improvement with participation of public, private and voluntary organisations in this vital approach to cancer control," he said.
The conference will begin at 8am and continue until 5pm at the Milon Hall of the BSMMU, said a press release.
The inaugural session will be held at 11am. Professor Kanak Kanti Barua, BSMMU vice chancellor, and Professor MA Hai, former director of the NICRH, will be present as chief guest and special guest respectively.
A policy dialogue will also be held at 2:20pm on "Why and How to Develop a National Cancer Screening Programme." Lawmaker Waseqa Ayesha Khan will chair the session moderated by Dr Habibullah Talukder Ruskin.
