Cancer second biggest killer in Caribbean

Feb 05, 2026 News

---

– CARPHA warns of rising cases, deaths

Cancer remains a major cause of mortality worldwide and is the second leading cause of death in the Caribbean, surpassed only by cardiovascular disease, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has said.

In a statemen to mark World Cancer Day which was observed yesterday, CARPHA said each year on February 4th, the global community commemorates World Cancer Day, an international observance dedicated to raising awareness, improving education, and catalysing action to address the cancer burden worldwide.  This year marks the second year of the “United by Unique” campaign, which highlights the importance of a people-centred approach to cancer care—placing individuals, families, and communities at the heart of health systems.

According to CARPHA in 2022, the Region recorded an estimated 119,000 new cancer cases and more than 66,000 cancer-related deaths. Driven by population ageing and increasing exposure to key risk factors, the cancer burden in Latin America and the Caribbean is projected to rise by 69% by 2045, underscoring the urgency of sustained and coordinated action.

Several Caribbean countries rank among those with the highest cancer burdens globally for specific cancer sites. Notably, nine of the fifteen countries worldwide with the highest estimated age-standardised incidence rates (ASRs)for prostate cancer are in the Caribbean, including Guadeloupe, Martinique, Barbados, Puerto Rico, French Guiana, The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica—with Guadeloupe recording the highest rate globally. Additionally, eight Caribbean countries are among the fifteen with the highest estimated ASR for prostate cancer, including Jamaica, Barbados, Haiti, The Bahamas, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the Dominican Republic, whilst Saint Lucia. Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Barbados ranked second, third, and fourth globally, respectively, for cervical cancer mortality.

“This significant cancer burden highlights the critical need for robust cancer control policies and reliable cancer surveillance systems capable of generating high-quality data to track trends, guide priorities, and evaluate the impact of cancer prevention and control efforts,” CARPHA said.

Speaking on the occasion of World Cancer Day, CARPHA’s Executive Director Dr. Lisa Indar, shared on how CARPHA continues to strengthen capacity through the region, “In 2026, CARPHA will release the Cancer Incidence in the Caribbean, Volume I, a landmark surveillance report presenting cancer incidence data from national cancer registries in seven Caribbean countries: Barbados, Bermuda, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago. This report will provide critical evidence to inform policy, strengthen prevention and control strategies, and advance national and regional cancer surveillance”. Dr. Indar added, “Through CARPHA’s continued efforts, cancer registration capacity has been strengthened across the region, resulting in improved data quality and more robust evidence to support decision-making”.

In recent years, Caribbean countries have made notable progress in strengthening cancer control. Several nations have enhanced existing population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) or established new population-wide systems where none previously existed. PBCRs are a cornerstone of national surveillance systems, enabling the systematic collection of data on cancer incidence, mortality, survival, and prevalence. Currently, fifteen Caribbean countries have dedicated national cancer control plans or have incorporated cancer into national noncommunicable disease (NCD) strategies to guide prevention and control efforts.

Despite these gains, significant challenges remain. Cancer control responses across the region are uneven, with some countries lacking national cancer control plans and access to high-quality surveillance data. Variability persists in access to cancer diagnostic and treatment services, screening programmes while palliative care remain limited, and late-stage diagnosis is still common in several settings.

To strengthen cancer surveillance and data-driven decision-making, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) established the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Caribbean Cancer Registry Hub (the “Caribbean Hub”) in 2015. Operating under the Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (GICR) led by IARC, CARPHA collaborates with key partners including IARC, the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

---

• cancer, Caribbean, CARPHA, World Cancer Day

---