According to young Jamaican medical experts, some types of cancer are increasing in young people.
The revelation was made at a webinar, hosted explicitly by the Ministry of Health and Wellness for medical doctors and primary care practitioners, to commemorate World Cancer Day 2021.
Consultant pathologist at the University Hospital of the West Indies, dr. Tracey Gibson, who talks about Epidemiology of Cancer, provides data on cancer trends in Jamaica, which also includes the burden of cancer among adults, adolescents, young adults, and children in Jamaica.
“The leading cancer in Jamaica is prostate cancer, and according to the research findings, the percentage shows that the incidence of prostate cancer is not limited to men older than 60, but in fact … men between the age group 25 to 59 years are prominent. Gibson said.
The other leading cancers in Jamaican men are lung and colorectal. Both prostate and colorectal sites are increasing, said dr. Gibson further explained.
“The burden of cancer by age in our male population shows that the top three cancers are the highest in all three age groups, namely 25-59, 60-74 and 75 and older,” Gibson said.
Using the age groups as above in the female population of Jamaica, breast, cervical and colorectal diseases are most prevalent, with breast and colorectal increase. Interestingly, it is in the younger age group that Jamaica has the heaviest burden, Gibson explained.
In children under 18, leukemia (blood cancer) is the most common malignant malignancy in both sexes, she said, adding that cancer of the central nervous system and lymphomas (cancer of the immune cells) are also prominent.
According to medical experts, cancer in children is rare compared to adults, but it is very important to know about it, as it is one of the leading causes of death in children under 14 years of age. The given data indicated that there is a greater awareness that adolescents and young adults are a clear population when it comes to cancer.
While survival rates may be higher among adolescents and young adults with cancer compared to older adults, cancer patients in younger age groups are at higher risk of developing long-term effects due to their cancer, such as organ damage, infertility, cardiovascular disease, and cancer later in life. life, the experts said.
A cancer diagnosis at this important stage in life where the independence of young people increases, careers begin and new relationships can be particularly destabilizing, the experts noted, adding that more research is needed to determine the rates and causes of cancers in this age group to determine more effective treatment options.
“Advances in cancer prevention methods and treatment can have a huge, positive impact on the health of our country’s adolescents and young adults, allowing them to gain independence and start their adult lives without fighting cancer,” says Dr Beverley Wright , Director Support and Monitoring of Health Systems at the Ministry of Health.
Wright added: ‘This is why we are particularly pleased that a nuclear medicine facility is being set up at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) as part of the plans to promote cancer treatment in Jamaica. The facility is expected to provide improved cancer treatment services to Jamaicans.
There are already two world-class cancer treatment centers in Jamaica, located at The St Joseph’s Hospital in Kingston and the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness through its Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and the Prevention of Injury Units recognized World Cancer Day on Thursday 4 February 2021 under the world theme, ‘Together all our actions are important – I am and I will’ informative events, activities, media interviews and discounts on performances through its partners.
All information-driven efforts of the Ministry have contributed to raising awareness about / around cancer, and have encouraged the public to not only be screened, but also to develop a personal and proactive screening program based on individual factors.
The discount on the show continues during February with partners The Woman’s Place and The People’s Medical Lab.