In his speech, the State Minister laid the highest emphasis on detecting breast cancer at an early stage and said, “Every year in Bangladesh, many women die due to breast cancer. Studies have shown that most patients seek medical care when cancer is at an advanced stage. The later the disease is detected, the greater the complications and the risk of it spreading in the body. Yet cancer is no longer an incurable disease; especially if breast cancer is detected at the very early stage and treated properly, the mortality rate is very low and the patient can live healthily for a long time.”
Pointing out the need to launch regular screening programs for women of certain ages, Dr. M A Muhit said, “To detect breast cancer quickly, we must create widespread public awareness and launch specific screening programs for women of certain ages. If screening is done in the right way, the risk or symptoms of the disease can be caught at the very initial stage.”
Informing about the government's plans regarding modern medical technology and creating skilled manpower, the State Minister said, “The use of molecular biology techniques in cancer treatment worldwide is bringing major changes. To improve the healthcare system of the future, the government has decided to establish a 'National Molecular Biology Laboratory' at the national level, and work on this has already begun. Alongside purchasing modern equipment for cancer institutes, activities are ongoing to develop new cancer specialists and skilled manpower through training at home and abroad.”
At the opening ceremony, presided over by President of the Bangladesh Society for Breast Cancer Study (BSCS) Professor Dr. Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, the conference's Organizing Secretary Dr. Md. Arifur Rahman delivered the welcome address, and the organization's General Secretary Dr. Arunangshu Das highlighted BSCS's activities over the past year and the main theme of the conference. Special guests at the event were UNFPA Bangladesh Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong, US expert Professor Dr. Ismail Jatoi, and Professor Dr. Don S. Dizon. In addition, Professor Dr. M. A. Hai and Professor Dr. Md. Sanowar Hossain spoke as patrons of BSCS.
