Labaid installs new machine to ensure early breast cancer detection

The Labaid Hospital has installed the latest mammography machine to diagnose and locate tumours of the breast.

National Professor Dr Shahla Khatun unveiled the machine on Monday, and urged doctors not to encourage over testing. “Our (doctors’) motto should be to allow only the necessary testing”.

She also stressed on raising awareness for early detection and treatment of breast cancer.

The 3D mammography machine called ‘Amulet Innovality’ will make doctors job of seeing images of the tissues easy.

Patients will now have higher chances of defeating breast cancer as it will help detect the disease at an early stage, doctors say.

There is no national cancer registry system in Bangladesh. But the national cancer institute’s data suggests cancer of the breast is the most common cancer among women.

Majority of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a relatively advanced stage due to lack of awareness and absence of effective breast cancer screening programme.

Singer Shakila Zafar, speaking at the function, also suggested awareness campaign about the disease.

“Even many educated people ignore this,” she said.

Citing her mother’s experience, she said, her mother was “fine for five years” as she was detected early.