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-early detection efforts
-by Kimberly Giddings
Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony said access to mammography services has expanded beyond Georgetown with plans to make breast cancer screening available in every region.
The minister is urging greater public awareness and early screening, noting that breast cancer remains the leading cancer affecting women in Guyana. He highlighted advances at GPHC, including local breast cancer testing and telepathology services that reduces the need to send samples overseas. The minister also said Guyana is working to eliminate cervical cancer through its HPV vaccination program, with coverage rising from 15 per cent to 69 per cent among children aged 9 to 15.
He encouraged women to utilise the ministry’s HPV screening voucher, while the country works towards WHO targets of 90 per cent vaccination coverage.
“Once we can do that, we can then reduce the burden of cervical cancer. And then even if they pass there and they end up with some form of cancer, if we pick it up early, we can do the surgery, we can do the radiation, we can try to fix early.So that’s the goal, pick it up as early as possible so that we can fix it early,” he said.
He said the Ministry of Health is encouraging more men to undergo regular PSA tests for early prostate cancer detection. He also highlighted concerns about colorectal cancer and announced plans for a pilot screening program, along with additional investments in cancer care.
“And so one of the big discussions that we are having is to set up an oncology center where a lot of the diagnostics would be available and also the treatments would be available. So that is something that we are working on. But in the interim, while we work on that, we are also developing a lot of partnerships.So there are treatments that maybe you currently can’t get here, but there’s a center, an oncology center in Martinique,” he explained.
The minister noted that PSA blood tests are now widely used as an initial screening tool for prostate cancer, reducing the need for physical examination in many cases. He also announced plans to train more doctors and nurses to strengthen cancer care services across the country.
