January is Cancer Registry Awareness Month, and the local registry is appealing for more cancer survivors and families of deceased cancer patients to come forward.
The Cayman Islands Cancer Registry collects voluntary cancer patient information to compare the Cayman Islands to other Caribbean countries, as well as make comparisons on a worldwide scale.
The registry aims to collect data to help provide an accurate picture of the impact of cancer and the nature and extent of the disease throughout the Cayman Islands, as well as to collate statistics that may help to improve Cayman’s efforts in cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and support.
Cayman Islands Registrar Amanda Franck said she hopes the community will become more aware of the registry and its benefits.
“The patient data collected through the registry is used to identify cancer trends in the Cayman Islands with hopes that cancer risks can be mitigated, and we can better understand how to decrease the incidence of cancer in our country,” she said.
Confidentiality ensured
“Patient confidentiality is of upmost importance and all information is held securely in a database and will never be available for public viewing,” Mrs. Franck added.
The cancer registry uses the same database system as the World Health Organization, which uses codes instead of patients’ names, so all information remains confidential, she said.
The data collected can be from people who have suffered from cancer in the past or are a current cancer patient.
“Currently, there is very little information on the number of people living with cancer in the Cayman Islands, nor it is known which types of cancer are the most prevalent, or which types are on the rise. We need this information so the Cancer Registry can do everything possible to decrease cancer risks and keep the population healthy,” Mrs. Franck said.
“We rely on cancer survivors, and families of those who have passed from cancer, to provide us with this valuable information.”
To register details of cancer cases takes only minutes, she said.
The cancer registry was established in 2010. It is a collaborative effort between the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority and the Cayman Islands Cancer Society.
Anyone who wants to register may contact Mrs. Franck at 244-2560 or email [email protected].
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