With the number of cancer patients increasing rapidly, the government should take urgent action to integrate early detection and screening into the national health system, developing effective strategies to raise people’s awareness to fight the deadly disease, health experts say.

Sirajul Haque Khan, a retired banker, felt a pain in his head after waking up on a cold winter morning in mid-December, 2020. Soon, he threw up twice, compelling his family members to take him to a nearby hospital.