Cancer Society wants national policy for prostate screening
Published:Friday | September 6, 2019 | 12:00 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) Executive Director Yulit Gordon is calling on the Government to craft a national policy to enable easier access to prostate cancer screening for all men over the age of 40.
Gordon made the call while speaking with The Gleaner at yesterday’s Prostate Cancer Awareness Day activities at the JCS’s Lady Musgrave Road offices in St Andrew, where they were offering free cancer screening.
Prostate cancer has been the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Jamaican men aged 40 and over, and September is dedicated to spreading awareness on the issue.
“This [national policy] would ensure that all males over the age of 40 years have access to screening in all public and private facilities. Making screening a national policy would also mean that once we have gone on and done these mass screenings, it is now important that those men who present with abnormalities can now have access to timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment within our primary healthcare systems,” said Gordon.
She said that this would mean that the island’s primary healthcare facilities would have to be given adequate equipment and staff to make diagnoses and provide treatment.
“There needs to be a urologist and an oncologist on staff as well. It is one thing to go out and do all these mass screenings and screen all these men, but what happens afterwards?” said Gordon.
The JCS staged yesterday’s event to boost awareness.
“Through our partners, we are giving away 100 free prostate cancer screenings to the first 100 men who are here, “Shullian Brown, fundraising and public relations officer at the JCS, told The Gleaner. “ ... Due to the capacity, we are not able to do more than that on any given day, so we will be doing additional free screenings throughout the month. Our branches in Mandeville, St Ann, and St Elizabeth will also be screening.”
Screenings are usually done at a subsidised cost of $3,000.
The JCS, through its partners, yesterday provided small grants to individuals to access treatment.
“It is very important that the primary healthcare facilities within their respective parishes are now equipped to receive these men because, as I said before, screening is not a diagnosis tool. They will have to go through different diagnostic tests that would lead to an accurate diagnosis and how to access treatment, so it is very important that the cancer care continuum is in place,” Gordon emphasised.
She also urged the Government to improve access to affordable treatment.
“There are drugs that have been scientifically proven to aid in improving survival rates for prostate cancer patients. We would like to see more of these drugs subsidised by the National Health Fund as well,” the JCS executive director said.
Delroy Walding, 59, was one of the first-time screeners yesterday. He was pleased after completing the screening exercise.
“Mi a step up in a age and anything is possible. I lose a foot, but still I have life, and I serving my God. My pastor told me about it (screening), and I never done it before, so I came,” he said.