World Cancer Day will be observed on Friday 4th February 2022 under the theme “Closing the Care Gap.” The observance of the day is organised by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and is based on the World Cancer Declaration of 2008.

That declaration was launched again in 2013 to align with the Global Action Plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases 2013-2020. This provides governments, UN agencies, civil society, relevant private sector and other key agencies, with a vision on which to build collaborative partnerships to address the cancer burden worldwide.

WCD 2022 symbolises the first year of a new three-year campaign that focuses on the topic of equity. The campaign recognises the power of knowledge and challenges assumptions.   

It also appeals to government leaders and policymakers to meaningfully reduce the worldwide cancer burden; to promote greater equity in accessing cancer services along with, a unified global health development agenda.

The Union supports the goals of the World Cancer Day declaration which aims to prevent millions of deaths each year by raising awareness as well as a global education on cancer. It further demands that governments and individuals across the world take action against the disease.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Americas. Roughly 4 million persons were newly diagnosed with cancer in 2020.  57% of new cases and 47% of cancer deaths occurred in persons 69 years and younger. In 2020, 1.4 million persons died from the disease in the Americas.

The disease is caused by changes {mutations} to the DNA within cells. A cell’s DNA is wrapped into a huge amount of personalised genes which contain a set of instructions. The cells are then told what type of functions to perform and how to develop and divide.

 Whenever errors appear in the genes, the normal functions of cells are disrupted and they can become cancerous. Some common types of cancers among men are prostate, lung, colorectal, bladder and melanoma of the skin. For women, they are breast, lung, colorectal, thyroid and cervical cancers.

 Over time, the research and treatments for cancer have evolved. Decades ago, a cancer diagnosis was an automatic death sentence but with the evolution of modern science and advancements in medicine, things are looking up. Many who were on the brink of death have been able to bounce back as a result of modern treatment.

  In Antigua and Barbuda, help is at our doorsteps due largely to the Cancer Centre of the Eastern Caribbean. Prostate, breast and cervical cancers continue to be the dominant types of cancers in Antigua and Barbuda.   

 For those suffering from prostate cancers in Antigua and Barbuda, there are treatment options available at the ECCC. For those with cancers that are localized, there is either surgery or radiation. Radiation treatments can vary from four- to seven-week spans depending on the stratification of the patient’s risk. However, most radiation treatments last for five- and- a half weeks.

Cancers of the prostate are placed into three categories: low risk, intermediate risk and high risk. The categories require different treatments based on the stratification of the cancer patients, the biology of the tumours, the patient’s PSA levels as well as the stage of the tumours.

Those in the low-risk category can get surgery or radiation and do not require hormonal treatment while patients falling within the intermediate groups get a hormonal injection every three months for approximately six months. 2-3 years of hormonal treatment is given to the high-risk groups.

The treatment for breast cancer involves breast conservation surgery or mastectomy followed by radiation, chemotherapy and sometimes, hormonal treatment depending up on the stage of the cancer and tumour biology.

 For cervical cancer patients, the treatment is 5 weeks of radiation treatment along with 5 cycles of weekly chemotherapy followed by 3 sittings of internal radiation treatment, if the disease is localised. Recipients of the Medical Benefits Scheme can get weekly chemotherapy at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre and radiation treatment at the Cancer Centre while those requiring internal radiation treatment undergo treatment in Suriname.

Lifelong follow-up treatment is compulsory for all cancer patients. For prostate cancer patients, their PSA levels must be checked every three months. Presently, there are ten cancer patients receiving treatment at the Centre.    

The Eastern Caribbean Cancer Centre opened its doors in July of 2015. It is located on the Queen Elizabeth Highway in St. John’s with radiation treatment facility that is delivered on par with world class standards and also a chemotherapy suite.