Latest update June 1st, 2026 12:37 AM
400 of 600 men test positive for prostate cancer – Health Minister
(Kaieteur News) – Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony on Friday urged citizens to take advantage of routine screening programmes for prostate cancer, stressing that early diagnosis is key to preventing deaths, as the disease remains the leading cancer among men in Guyana.
He made the appeal during his presentation before the Committee of Supply during the consideration the Ministry of Health’s 2026 budget estimates.
Dr Anthony said that in recent years, the ministry has established routine screening services for prostate cancer, allowing men to access Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests and follow-up biopsies where necessary.
“You can also, apart from getting your PSAs, if its elevated, you can now go and get a biopsy done,” he noted.
Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony
The health minister disclosed that over the last year, close to 600 biopsies were conducted and about 400 were positive. “So those men were able to come into care earlier. So, it’s going to make a difference, because right now, prostate cancer is the number one cancer among men in Guyana. So, if we catch it early, we’ll be able to treat people and prevent them from dying from prostate cancer and that’s the objective of the ministry,” Dr Anthony noted.
Moreover, the minister also highlighted the progress in the fight against cervical cancer, pointing to the rollout of the nine-valent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which targets nine cancer-causing strains of the virus.
He highlighted that the vaccine is being provided free of cost. “Think if you have to get that vaccine in the US, it would cost you about US$360. You’re getting it here in Guyana for free,” he noted.
The minister encouraged persons with a child between the ages of nine and 15 to ensure that they are vaccinated.
“We want both boys and girls, because in boys, there are certain cancers like penal and rectal cancer that you can get, and this vaccine can prevent that and we’ve also seen in other countries oral cancer that can be prevented by HPV. So, this is a good programme, and I just want to encourage people to make the best use of it,” Dr Anthony said.
He reminded of the $8,000 screening voucher to support cervical cancer testing, with treatment available for those who test positive. “So, these are good things, and please encourage your constituents to make sure they benefit from this,” he added.
Further, he disclosed that this year $1.73 billion will go towards consultancies with Mount Sinai, Northwell and Ernst and Young. Funding was also approved for health management information systems, consultancy services, electronic health records, and other administrative and technical support services.
The minister said the partnership with Mount Sinai, which runs until 2030 and is supported largely by Hess Corporation, Guyana will pay $891 million this year. The collaboration has already seen close to 80,000 children screened.
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