Read our article in The Chamber Magazine, eversion
The Health Services Authority and the Cayman Islands Cancer Society have come together on an initiative of national importance - the development of a national Cancer Registry.
Cancer is a major public health challenge worldwide. In the ‘developed’ world, as many as one in three people will develop some form of cancer, and one in four will die from its complications.
In the ‘developing’ world, although the incidence of some types of Cancer (eg.stomach) is declining, the overall incidence (e.g. tobacco-related lung cancer) is increasing.
From a local standpoint, with the impact of cancer on the Cayman Islands community and the escalating complexity and expenses associated with treatment, there is a need for accurate data to inform on trends in cancer incidence along with outcomes, hence the development of a national cancer registry.
Currently, within Cayman there is very little information on the number of people living with cancer, or the types of cancer that are the most prevalent. Additionally, there is no comprehensive data on the number of new cases that develop annually, including treatments, outcomes or morbidity rates.
As a country, it is important that these statistics are in place to inform the public, and create healthcare policies toward prevention and the reduction of cancer risks. A cancer registry contributes to monitoring the impact and effectiveness of policies by monitoring outcomes such as incidence, mortality or survival, and through audit, assessing the structures and processes for delivering care.
A cancer registry is proven to be a key component of an information management system for cancer, contributing to:
- Scientific research into causes and management
- An evidence base for policy making
- Monitoring the effectiveness of cancer
- prevention and screening programmes
Ideally, our cancer registry will collect data on every case of cancer diagnosis within the Cayman Islands including:
- Tumor based information
- Treatment and outcome
- Sources of information
The Cayman Islands cancer registry will play a vital role in creating the evidence base upon which a comprehensive plan to address cancer can be developed similar to the practices of other countries.
For example, in the United Kingdom, there was a comparison of cancer registry data from across Europe presented through the EUROCARE study - a cancer epidemiology research project on survival and care of European cancer patients. These data showed that the UK had some of the worst cancer survival rates in Europe, especially for the more common cancers (e.g. breast).
This led to the development of the UK NHS Cancer plan. It is the first comprehensive, national public health plan to reduce the number of new cases and deaths of cancer.
In order to understand the changes and developments taking place within our country, health professionals need to have an accurate picture of cancer incidence in the population so that interventions can be targeted.
This information once collated can be used a source to make informed public health decisions and will also act as a catalyst for the development of programs designed to mitigate the risks of many types of cancer.
With this registry in place, data can also be used to compare statistics with other Caribbean countries and worldwide. Without this information, it would be difficult to initiate action on lessening
the occurrence of cancer in the Cayman Islands.
At present, it is not mandatory for persons to submit their details to the Cancer Registry if they have cancer, but those living with cancer are encouraged to come forward and participate in this process.
More information about the registry, including the physician or personal reporting forms can be found at www.cics.ky/registry.php or www.hsa.ky/cancer_registry.html. Alternatively, if you would like to speak with someone specifically to learn more about the registry, you may contact the Cancer Registrar, Ms. Melina Conolly at 244-2560, or email her at cancerregistrar@hsa.ky