title: Breast cancer in South Asia: a Bangladeshi perspective.
abstract: South Asian countries are facing a hidden breast cancer epidemic. A significant proportion of the breast cancer cases occur in premenopausal women. Knowledge of the various aspects of breast cancer in different geographical regions is limited in South Asia. In this article, we review the Bangladeshi perspective of the epidemiology, risk factors, pathology, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. As in other developing countries, because of the lack of breast cancer awareness in Bangladeshi population and inadequate access to health care, most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. Early detection has a crucial impact on overall treatment outcomes. To battle against breast cancer in resource-limited countries like Bangladesh, it is not feasible to set up a parallel health service system solely dedicated to cancer. Therefore, a cost-effective public health strategy is needed which could reach a large number of women in the country. Considering all these issues, we propose an innovative female-based primary healthcare approach focused on awareness, screening and early detection of breast cancer in Bangladesh. This preventive strategy could be a model for other resource-limited developing countries.
authors.affiliation: BRAC University, Department of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Biotechnology Division, Incepta Pharmaceutical Ltd, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Electronic address: sorowar2002@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mohammad Sorowar
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Shameema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferdous
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henrike E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Karim-Kos
mesh_terms: D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D003906:Developing Countries; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Awareness; Bangladesh; Breast; Cancer; Epidemiology; Primary healthcare; South Asia