(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-09-24 19:41

DHAKA -- Bangladesh now has some 4 million cancer patients, with some 200,000 new patients being afflicted with the deadly disease every year, private news agency UNB reported on Monday.

Prof. Dr ABMF Karim, a noted cancer specialist in the country, disclosed this on Monday at a press conference, organized by the Federation of Anti-Cancer Activists of Bangladesh (FACAB), an umbrella organization of 45 small organizations working on cancer awareness in Bangladesh.

Karim, former president of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Federation of Oncologists, said the number of cancer patients in Bangladesh would reach 20 million within next 20 years if the current trend continues.

He said use of tobacco and lack of balanced diet and regular labor (especially for the rich community) are the main causes of cancer. "These causes are basically found in the developing countries," he said.

He stressed the need for creating awareness among people and underscored producing adequate number of specialists in the country to cope with the rising incidence of cancer.

"There are only 98 cancer experts in the country and most of them are radiation oncologists. Minimum 200 new cancer experts, including medical oncologists, oncology surgeons and radiation oncologists, are needed every year," he said.