Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University inaugurated mammography test facilities yesterday.
Mammography is the process of using low-energy X-rays to examine human breast and is used as a diagnostic and screening tool.
The goal of the test is the early detection of breast cancer, a disease that has the highest rate of occurrence, 19.3 per 100,000, compared to any other type of cancer among women aged between 15-44 years. For the same age group, cervical cancer comes second with 12.4 in every 100,000 women.
At the private hospitals, charge for running a single breast mammography is Tk1200-1500 whereas, at BSMMU, it will charge Tk400 for single and Tk600 for double breast mammography tests.
The mammography machine has been bought under “Eastablishment of National Center for Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening and Training at BSMMU” project by the health ministry.
Prof Dr Pran Gopal Datta, vice-chancellor of BSMMU, inaugurated the mammography room when Pro-VC Prof Dr Ruhul Amin Mia and Prof Dr Saleha Begum Chowdhury were present.
At present, the rate of breast cancer occurrence is estimated to be 22.5 in every 100,000 women of all ages, compared to 124.8 in every 100,000 women worldwide. However, the statistics remains a murky, largely due to a lack of diagnosis and poor record keeping.
