CARIBBEAN CANCER CRISIS

by | Nov 16, 2018 | Uncategorized

Cyberknife Center of Miami Experts Join Peers Addressing Caribbean Cancer Crisis

MIAMI – Medical experts at the Cyberknife Center of Miami are widely regarded as top practitioners in the field of state-of-the-art, noninvasive cancer treatment.

Earlier this month, Cyberknife Center of Miami Executive Director Dr. James G. Schwade and Medical Director Dr. Mark E. Pomper traveled to the island of Jamaica, where they joined other doctors and cancer healthcare professionals at Jamaica Cancer Society’s 2018 Medical Symposium to discuss “Oncology: Charting a New Course for the Caribbean.” Cyberknife Miami was a proud sponsor of the event.

The internationally attended event brought together cancer care experts with the common goal of creating a blueprint for improving outcomes in the treatment and survival of cancer. Two of Cyberknife Miami’s renowned specialists, Dr. James G. Schwade and Dr. Mark E. Pomper participated in the event, with Dr. Pomper serving as a featured speaker.

While there, Drs. Schwade and Pomper and fellow members of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN) teamed up with the Caribbean Association for Oncology & Hematology (CAOH) to create NCCN Harmonized Guidelines for the Caribbean to develop prostate care guidelines. Dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care, NCCN is a not-for-profit alliance of 27 leading cancer centers. This 2018 conference is also credited with developing the requisite models for cancer research which will inform policies and governmental inputs in health care for medium and long-term national development.

Cancer in the Caribbean

Cancer and obesity are the top health problems in the Caribbean. In fact, the archipelago of Caribbean islands – from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south – ranks among the highest in the world for incidences and prevalence of cancers. Just to give some perspective, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the rates of death from cervical, breast, prostate, and colon cancer are two to nine times higher in this region than compared to the United States.

According to a study published by The University of Medicine and Health Sciences, St. Kitts, the pervasiveness of cancers in this area may be due in part to lack of screening availability and access to education on how to diagnose these diseases in the earliest stages, or prevent them altogether. Early detection is key for so many cancers, and can have much more favorable outcomes, including reducing the risk of mortality.

With estimates suggesting that by 2030, more than a million people will die each year from cancer in the Caribbean and Latin America, there is no better time to spread the word about early detection and new technologies that are changing the way we treat cancer. The “Beam of Life,” CyberKnife’s non-invasive radiation therapy is the most cutting-edge technology that precisely targets tumors, destroying them and resulting in optimal outcomes and a greater quality of life. For more information about upcoming events or the procedures offered at CyberKnife Miami, call 800-204-0455 and talk to our cancer experts.