Urgent need to strengthen and expand screening and other cancer control programs in the CARICOM Caribbean

Franklin, Renee A.; Simeon, Donald

doi:10.1007/s10552-017-0912-0

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…A recent review of Caribbean cancer screening programs revealed that for 12 countries that have BC screening services available, mammography is not available in the public sector for more than half of them. 107 It is then plausible that Caribbean women with private insurance and those with higher socioeconomic status may have better access to mammography. Furthermore, although traveling abroad to other countries for BC screening is unlikely, for those who can afford it, traveling abroad to other Caribbean countries (eg, Trinidad, Martinique, or Puerto Rico), the United States, the United Kingdom, or France for confirmation of a BC diagnosis or for treatment may be an option.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breast Cancer Research in the Caribbean: Analysis of Reports From 1975 to 2017

Ragin

Banydeen

Zhang

et al. 2018

JGO

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PurposeBreast cancer is among the leading causes of death resulting from cancer in Caribbean women. Studies examining exogenous and genetically predetermined endogenous risk factors are critical to define breast cancer susceptibility in Caribbean women. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the existing scientific literature in the last 42 years (1975 to 2017) to describe the body of research generated for the population of this region and determine future research directions.MethodsWe selected published research articles using a combination of definite keyword searches in PubMed. Only articles presenting the Caribbean population as the focus of their research objectives were included in this analysis.ResultsStudies on breast cancer in the Caribbean are limited. A majority of publications on Caribbean populations were descriptive, focusing on cancer trends and clinicopathologic factors. High incidence and mortality rates for breast cancer are reported for the region, and there seem to be some differences between countries in the frequency of cases according to age at presentation. A limited number of epidemiologic, behavioral, and genetic and molecular studies were conducted in more recent years.ConclusionA regional strategy for cancer registration is needed for the Caribbean to address possible underestimates of breast cancer incidence. Furthermore, behavioral, molecular, genetic, and epidemiologic investigations of breast cancer are critical to address the concerns related to currently described high incidence and mortality rates in the Caribbean.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breast Cancer Research in the Caribbean: Analysis of Reports From 1975 to 2017

Ragin

Banydeen

Zhang

et al. 2018

JGO

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“…Although BC screening is widely available in the CARICOM Caribbean, services are not part of structured or comprehensive screening programs or follow defined national policies, as recommended by the WHO [ 6 ]. Spence et al [ 9 ] reported that only seven CARICOM countries (Belize, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago) have operational, stand-alone national cancer control plans.…”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is also seen in South America, which lies within the same geographical region as the Caribbean, which has similar incidence rates, yet the Caribbean suffers higher mortality comparable to that of Africa. As the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has approximately 83% Afro-Caribbean people (6% East Indian, 9% mixed, and 2% others) [ 6 ], investigations into genetic and ethnic predisposition of BC need to be studied. Additionally, further epidemiological investigations into the factors associated with BC outcomes observed in the Caribbean population are imperative for improving survivorship.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breast Cancer in the Caribbean

Samaroo¹,

Hosein²,

Olivier³

et al. 2021

Cureus

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Breast cancer (BC) is one of the leading causes of death among women globally. In the Caribbean, there is a higher mortality rate compared with North American and European countries which have higher incidence rates. We conducted a literature review to examine the BC dynamic in the Caribbean and determine the areas where further investigations are needed. The PubMed database was used for identifying relevant studies using a combination of specific keyword searches. All studies focusing on BC within the defined Caribbean population were selected for this review. A total of 117 papers were included. The data were organized and presented under the following headings and reported according to the country where available: BC incidence and mortality, patient demographics, clinicopathology, genetics, behavioral risks, diagnosis and treatment, and BC control. Our review uncovered major variability in the incidence, management, etiology, and mortality of BC among Caribbean countries. Low-resource countries are burdened by more advanced disease with expected poorer BC outcomes (i.e., shorter periods of disease-free survival). Countries with established national cancer registries seem to have a better approach to the management of BC. The introduction of cancer treatment programs in association with international nonprofit groups has shown tremendous improvement in quality, accessible cancer care for patients, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. BC research is relatively limited in the Caribbean, lacking in both scope and consistency. The unique Caribbean BC population of diverse ethnicities, environmental influence, immigrants, socioeconomic status, and sociocultural practices allows an optimal opportunity for epidemiological investigations that can provide deeper insights into the status of BC.

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