Breast Cancer Is The Leading Cause Of Cancer Death Among Caribbean Women—Study

More women in the Caribbean have succumbed to breast cancer in the last two decades than from countries with higher incidence rates, a recent study has found.

In a new study published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science, breast cancer was revealed to be the “leading cause of cancer death among women in 21 out of the 23 Caribbean territories” for the decade 2003-2013.

According to the study, the Caribbean suffers higher mortality than that of Africa, North America, and Europe.

In 2020 alone, a total of 15,000 new cases of breast cancer patients were recorded in the Caribbean, and a five-year prevalence of 219 per 100,000. The disease has been the second leading cancer in the Caribbean after prostate cancer.

Several recommendations have been laid out to curb the rates of Caribbean women developing or succumbing to breast cancer.

The study revealed that there needs to be an “implementation of national screening programs combined with education initiatives to promote breast cancer awareness.” Early disease detection has apparently shown a significant effect on mortality rates, contributing to “decreased mortality rates in screened populations where incidence is higher than in the Caribbean.”