The Barbados Cancer Society (BCS) is reporting an increase in the number of breast cancer cases, partly due to a rise in the number of women participating in the breast screening programme, a BCS official has revealed.
Dr Shirley Jhagroo, medical coordinator of the BCS’s breast screening programme, said due to a number of initiatives, such as the Walk for the Cure organised by CIBC First Caribbean, more Barbadian women were coming forward for important checks. Additionally, there was a major rise in the number of people conducting self tests, Dr Jhagroo said.
She stated that as a result the vast majority of breast lumps were discovered by the patients, with most cancer cases discovered in the early stages.
“Statistics now show that 80 per cent of breast lumps are found by the patient themselves. Thanks to the awareness, more than 40 per cent of patients attending the early detection clinic for screening or diagnoses are self-referred,” she explained. “This number has been increasing yearly, and so does the number of positive cases. Fortunately, most patients with positive diagnosis are at stages 0, 1 and 2, giving these patients almost 98 per cent to 100 per cent five-year survival.”
Dr Jhagroo noted that currently 700 mammograms and 130 ultrasounds are conducted at the clinic monthly, with 147 cases recorded in 2023, up from the 135 cases recorded the previous year.
The medical coordinator made the disclosure at the official launch of this year’s Walk for Cure at the CIBC First Caribbean, Warrens Great House offices with organisers saying they were hoping to raise over $200,000 this year to support cancer care and prevention efforts across the island.
CIBC’s managing director for Barbados and the OECS Donna Wellington told journalists that since its launch in 2012, the walk has raised over USD$4 million.
“Every penny raised and donated has been shared among cancer care organisations and charities committed to the prevention and early detection of the disease, to education and outreach and to the care of persons with cancer and their families that are impacted,” Wellington said.
She indicated that the effort raised Bds$200,000 last year, all of which went to the breast screening programme. “We are optimistic that we will reach and surpass our goal this year,” the banking executive said, adding that the monies raised this year will go towards the purchase of a new US$250,000 picture archiving and communication system to replace the 15-year-old system at the BCS.
This year’s Walk for the Cure event will take place on October 6, with participants leaving the CIBC’s corporate headquarters in Warrens at 3:50 p.m. for the 5k run and 4 p.m. for the 5k walk.
T-shirts can be pre-ordered from the breast screening programme offices or at upcoming CIBC pop-up stalls.
