The month of January is Cancer Registry awareness month. The Cayman Islands Cancer Registry collects voluntary cancer patient information to help better compare the Cayman Islands to other Caribbean countries as well as on a worldwide scale. It is important to collect data, as it can provide an accurate picture of the impact of cancer and the nature and extent of cancer throughout the country. The statistics will also help to improve Cayman’s efforts in cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and support.
Mrs Amanda Franck, Cayman Islands Cancer Registrar, urges the community to 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”, Mrs Franck stated.
“Patient confidentiality is of upmost importance and all information is held securely in a database and will never be available for public viewing”, she said.
The Cayman Islands Cancer Registry uses a database system used by the World Health Organization (WHO) which uses codes verses patient’s names, so all information remains confidential.
The data collected can be from people who have suffered from cancer in the past or are a current cancer patient.
Mrs Franck stated, “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. We rely on cancer survivors, and families of those who have passed from cancer, to provide us with this valuable information.”
Registering is easy, completely confidential, and only takes minutes. Contact Amanda Franck, Cancer Registrar, at 345-244-2560 or Amanda.franck@hsa.ky to register today.
By taking part in the registration process you are helping the Cayman Islands and the world understand more about cancer and ultimately finding better treatment.
The national Cancer Registry is a collaborative effort between the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority and the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. The Registry was established in 2010 for the purpose of housing all cancer data collected in the Cayman Islands.
To find out more call the Cancer Registry at 345-244-2560.
