It is possible to cure breast cancer through hormone therapy and regular checkups which help detect the cancer at its early stage, said speakers at a seminar.

In Bangladesh, survival is only 23 percent due to delay in detection of cancer at its early stage, complexity in taking treatment and lack of proper breast cancer screening programmes, they said.

Oncologist Dr Tasnim Ara said though hormone therapy is a bit new and costly in Bangladesh, it does not have the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Twelve percent of women remain at a risk of getting breast cancer in their lifetime. In developed countries like the US, one out of eight women gets breast cancer, they added.

Munshi Afzal Hossain and Selima Khatun Foundation and Edward M Kennedy Centre Dhaka jointly organised the seminar near the end of last month.    

Advocate Sultana Kamal and National Professor Dr Shahla Khatun, among others, spoke.