According to a report by the World Health Organization, esophageal cancer is the most common cause of cancer in Bangladesh. It is said that about 14% of the total patients suffer from esophageal cancer.
According to the World Health Organization's 2020 report, esophageal cancer was diagnosed in 21,745 people a year. Of these, about 14,000 men have been infected and a little over 7,500 women have been infected.
Although men have a higher risk of developing lung cancer in the past, esophageal cancer is now at the top. On the other hand, in women, esophageal cancer is second only to breast cancer.
In addition, the death rate from this cancer is the highest - about 14%.
According to a 2017 study by the World Cancer Research Fund, Bangladesh has the fourth-highest incidence of esophageal cancer in Asia.
Considering the situation, experts have urged to take initiatives to prevent esophageal cancer from now on.
Symptoms, when to go to the doctor?
There are some possible symptoms of esophageal cancer, but since they are quite common, it is difficult for many to understand that it can lead to cancer.
Seymour Islam, a pathologist and former director of the National Cancer Institute, and the UK's Department of Healthcare have been asked to address a number of issues.
In the initial stage, it will be difficult to swallow solid food. Later, it may be difficult to eat liquid food or even swallow.
Digestive problems such as: heartburn, frequent belching, sour water in the mouth, abdominal pain, etc. can occur again and again. If the disease does not get better even after two weeks of taking normal treatment of these problems.
If you lose a lot of weight in six months to a year, you will lose appetite.
Coughing for a long time. Shortness of breath at night. Pain in the middle of the throat and chest, especially when swallowing.
Nausea, fatigue, weakness. Shortness of breath while eating.
Persistent constipation or diarrhea.
Experts say that if these symptoms appear, consult a doctor. However, having these symptoms does not mean that anyone has esophageal cancer. These can also be common symptoms.
Patients lost their way in cancer treatment in Bangladesh
An international organization says more than 1.5 million people in the country could be diagnosed with cancer this year.
But the cancer treatment system that exists in Bangladesh is inadequate on the one hand and very expensive in the long run on the other.
Many of the victims said families were becoming destitute by selling their land to cover medical expenses. A visit to the 300-bed hospital of the National Cancer Research Institute in Dhaka found that most of the patients were men and women from low-income families.
Some patients there said that the cost of this government hospital is a bit less than that of a private hospital. But for a long time, they have been struggling to cope. A woman suffering from cancer said that she has to suffer a lot to get hospitalized and treated on time.
"I come from outside Dhaka. But I don't get the cereals here on time. In fact, they come 10 days later. They ask me to come back in a few days. I don't get the treatment on time. It costs a lot of money. "
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