Obesity increases risk of 10 cancers

Feb 06, 2018 News

-but CARPHA to help reduce burden on Region

Dr. C. James Hospedales

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of 10 cancers — bowel, breast, uterine, ovarian, pancreatic, stomach, kidney, liver, advanced prostate and gallbladder. This is according to information released by the Caribbean Public Health Agency [CARPHA].
Moreover, CARPHA is on a mission to amplify evidence-based information which suggests that adopting healthy lifestyle choices can contribute to the reduction of cancer cases and consequently deaths and costs from the disease in the Region.
“Choose prevention; take advantage of screening services offered by your community health clinics, health practitioners, and cancer organisations. Everyone can take steps to reduce one’s risk of cancer by choosing healthy options especially quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, keeping physically active, maintaining a healthy weight and choosing healthy food and drinks,” said Dr. C. James Hospedales, Executive Director of CARPHA.
He added, “We need to act now to reduce our lifetime risk of cancer “We can. I can!”
His remarks coincided with the observance of World Cancer Day which embraced the theme “We can. I can.”
World Cancer Day is observed annually on February 4 and CARPHA joined its member states and the rest on the occasion to promote how everyone, individually and together, can help reduce the burden of cancer by focusing on prevention, reducing risk factors, and improving access to early diagnosis and adequate treatment.
“We can” seeks to collectively, inspire action, create healthy environments, build a quality workforce and shape policy change. As an individual “I can” understand that early detection saves lives. “I can” support others, and work to make healthy lifestyle choices.
As a public health agency, CARPHA is involved in addressing the prevalence of non-communicable [NCD] or chronic diseases, which account for the majority of deaths and illnesses in the Region.
The NCD epidemic causes enormous human suffering and also impacts negatively on human development in both social and economic realms. Diseases of concern are hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancers.
According to CARPHA’s Executive Director, “The good news is that a large proportion of cancer deaths in the Region for both males and females can be prevented through primary prevention and early detection.
“Breast cancer can be detected early and treated successfully. Cervical cancer is the most preventable through vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV), screening, education, early detection and treatment.”
Cancer has over time become a major burden on health sectors across the globe, Guyana being no exception. However, even as World Cancer Day was commemorated on Sunday last, a laudable commitment was made by CARPHA to lend support to its partners to help reduce the burden of cancer in the Region.
Guyana is a member of CARPHA by virtue of its affiliation to the Caribbean Community [CARICOM].
The local health sector has, over the years, depended heavily on the vast public health services offered by CARPHA and this is likely to be extended with the recent offer made.
Already the Agency has been partnering with CARICOM agencies and international institutions to impact trade agreements and influence the availability and access to healthy foods.
In fact as part of a collaboration with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and other global partners, CARPHA currently houses the Cancer Registry Hub for the Caribbean. The Hub aims to strengthen cancer surveillance by building capacity for cancer registration in the region through technical support, training, networking opportunities and collaborative research.
Currently, prostate cancer is the most common cause of cancer related deaths among Caribbean men, with lung cancer being the second main cause. Breast and cervical cancer are the leading cancers in women and have a significant impact on women’s health in the Region. The death rates for cancer of the breast, cervix, stomach, colon and prostate are two to nine times higher in the CARPHA Member States compared to the USA, research at CARPHA has shown.