Cancer is preventable – Dr Niamatali urges early screening

Many types of cancer can be treated and cured, but the majority of persons detect cancer when it is too late. This is the view of President of the Guyana Cancer Society, Dr. Carl Niamatali.

Guyana, on February 4, joined the rest of the world in the observance of World Cancer. Dr. Niamatali, during an interview broadcast on the National Communications Network, said of 20 million people worldwide who were diagnosed with cancer in 2020, half of those died.

He said with more than 200 types of cancer, over the last century the number has been ‘increasing exponentially.’

Dr. Niamatali said cancer is preventable, though there is no miracle cure. He said it is all about prevention, and early detection.

“There are four stages. If we detect it in stage one or two, we can cure most of the patients. The problem is, the majority of patients come when they have stage three and four, 70-80 percent, in which case we can’t cure them and the majority have passed within 6 to 12 months,” he said.

“It’s all about prevention, it’s all about early detection through screening, if we detect cancer early, we can, with the right treatment, at the right time, cure most of the patients,” Dr. Niamatali added.

He noted that the number one cause of cancer is tobacco, which is responsible for 16 types of cancers, alcohol for seven different types of cancers, and being obese or overweight with poor nutrition is responsible for 11 different types.

The Human-Papilloma Virus is also highlighted as one of the causes of Cancer.

Dr. Niamatali noted that the HPV vaccine is accessible in Guyana which young girls and women up to 45 years of age can access to prevent cervical cancer.

He noted that early screening is important, to detect stomach, colon, throat and other cancers.

While VIA screening and pap smears were done previously to detect cervical cancer, currently there is a new screening that can be done to detect this type of cancer, which is being offered free of cost at the Guyana Cancer Prevention Society.

Breast and cervical cancers are highlighted as two of the leading causes of cancer deaths in Guyana among women, therefore females as young as 20 are being urged to learn self-examination of the breast and to access early screening for cervical cancer.

He noted that by the time a lump is detected in the breast it may be too late hence mammograms and ultrasounds are important.

Persons are also being urged to get screened for prostate, colon, stomach and other cancers.

Persons desirous of screening for the different types of cancers can access these services at all of the regional hospitals across Guyana.

The Ministry of Health has also planned an aggressive campaign to create awareness and screening later this year.