Growing Cancer Registries in the Caribbean

Staff from CDC and the Barbados National Registry in Bridgetown, Barbados, May 12, 2015. Left to right: Stewart-Andre Wilkinson, Dr. Michelle O’Hegarty, Dr. Florence Tangka, Karen Greene, Jacqueline Campbell, Shelly-Ann Forde, Rachael Joseph, Ashley Henry, Tanya Martelly, and Lauren Maul.

Just like in other parts of the world, cancer is a major public health issue in the Caribbean region. In 2012, about 91,000 Caribbean people learned they had cancer, and about 53,000 people died from the disease.

Population-based cancer registries provide important information about cancer in a specific region, including how many people are affected, the treatment they get, and what stage of cancer they have. Registries are the main source of cancer data and can help public health officials monitor prevention and control efforts. To date, fewer than 10 Caribbean countries and territories have a population-based cancer registry, and less than half of these registries have met international quality standards. This means information on cancer cases in the Caribbean region is limited.

A Regional Reference Center

The Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development, led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), aims to improve population-based cancer registries worldwide by creating six regional reference centers called IARC hubs. CDC is partnering with IARC, the National Cancer Institute, the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to develop an IARC regional hub in the Caribbean. CDC also supports the regional hubs for Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

The purpose of the hub, located at CARPHA headquarters in Port-of-Spain Trinidad and Tobago, will be to help countries and territories in the area grow their capacity to register cancer cases. The hub will provide training and technical support, and also promote research and networking among local cancer registries.

A representative from CDC’s Office of International Cancer Control also will help evaluate existing registries. CDC also supports the regional hubs for Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Cost Considerations

CDC is working with IARC and other partners to create a Web-based tool to estimate how much it will cost to set up and maintain a registry for cancer or other non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries. Several countries are participating in the development of the tool, including the Caribbean nation of Barbados and several African countries. This information is valuable for the decision makers who fund the registries.