Cancer deaths are rising in the Caribbean, according to a recent study by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC).
In a statement CARPHA said only the death-rate from lung cancer was higher in the United States than the Caribbean.
It said the rates of death for cancer of the cervix, breasts, prostate and colon are two to three times higher in the Caribbean than the United States.
The study showed prostate cancer to cause 18 to 47 percent ofcancer deaths among Caribbean men, while lung cancer was the second cause of cancer deaths accounting for five to 25 percent.
Among females, breast cancer was the main cause of cancer death, accounting for 14 to 30 percent of cancers and being generally twice as high as the US rate.
CARPHA head, Dr. James Hospedales said breast cancer can be detected early and treated successfully.
