12000 cervical patient detected every year

They also said cervical and breast cancers are the foremost causes of cancer mortality of women in the developing countries.

Local unit of Obstetrical and Gynaelogical Society of Bangladesh (OGSB) in collaboration with Reneta Limited arranged the seminar styled "Visual inspection of cervix with acetic acid (VIA): a new era in cancer cervix screening" at the conference hall of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH).

Associate Professor of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department of RMCH Dr Fatema Ashraf presented a keynote paper elaborating risk factors and precautionary measures to prevent the disease.

Director of RMCH Brig Gen Bazley Kader, Principal of RMC Prof Fazlur Rahman, local BMA President Dr Wasim Hossain, Prof ARM Saifuddin Ekram of medicine and Prof Mahbubul Alam of radiotherapy, among others, took part in the discussion. Local OGSB President Prof Merina Khanom presided over the seminar.

Keynote speaker Dr Fatema Ashraf said unconsciousness, early marriage, early child birth, onset of sexual activity at the young age, multiple sexual partners, history of presence of sexual transmitting infection (STI), low socio-economic status and venereal diseases have been identified as the risk factors of the disease.

Referring to a study conducted from July 2005 to June 2006 at RMCH, she said some 111 cases of cervical cancer were detected among 567 female cancer patients.

Dr Fatema Ashraf said creating awareness, education to reduce high-risk sexual behavior and measures to reduce and avoid exposures to STIs were proved as the primary prevention measures of the disease. Treatment of pre-cancerous lesions and required practical test were found as the secondary preventive measures, he added.

She, however, said pre-detection of cervical cancer by VIA was found effective to manage the disease successfully.