WHEN it comes to our health, being informed and aware is one of the first preventative steps that can be taken. This should be followed by frequent screening, testing, and regular checkups.

These steps were outlined by the Coordinator of Cancer Services at the Chronic Disease Unit, Dr. Shanique Greaves, in a recent interview on the Ministry of Health’s Health Matters programme where she provided invaluable advice on cancer awareness, prevention, and care.

In observance of World Cancer Day 2025 which was celebrated last Friday, the doctor highlighted that breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, and rectal cancer are the most prevalent cancers in Guyana. She emphasised that presently, attention is also being given to childhood cancers.

Dr. Greaves explained that cancer is an activation of the growth of abnormal cells within the body. This could be as a result of various reasons, she said adding that overtime, the cells begin to multiply and divide. This affects the proper functioning of normal cells and eventually this abnormality takes over the entire body.

“I know many people usually wait until there is a very bad health issue before they visit their local health centres or even see a doctor,” she said before emphasising “I always like to say prevention is always better than a cure, which means that we can be able to avoid a disease from happening or any sort of disaster. We should get in front of the situation in doing so. Unfortunately, it’s not a very much practiced culture we have in Guyana.”

She later underscored the importance of getting a routine screening done even if you feel healthy, or there are no signs or symptoms of deteriorating health.

“We still need to do our routine screening in order to know for sure whether or not it’s something that we might catch in the very early stage, which gives us a lot higher survival rate,” she said adding that a late diagnosis decreases the chance of survival greatly.

When it comes to support from family, Dr. Greaves said it is ideal. She explained that being diagnosed with a disease that is often talked about can affect that person’s mental health.

She pointed out that cancer not only affects the person that is diagnosed, but also the family members who have to take care of them. Dr. Greaves affirmed that this is the part where we as a population need to come together and lend a helping hand to the affected.

The doctor pointed out that some signs and symptoms that persons would want to look for, specifically as it relates to cervical cancer, are abnormal bleeding outside of your regular menstruation, spotting, a prolonged menstrual cycle, painful sex or pain after sex and any bleeding during or after sex.

“Any abnormal vaginal discharge that usually is something that’s recurrent, like you’ve been taking medication for and you find that it’s still not working…It can be different reasons that may be the cause for it, but if it is that you notice you’ve been taking treatment and you’re still not getting resolve, you may also want to go to get checked …you might want to run some additional testing on you,” she expressed.

Lower abdominal pains or back pains, swelling to the feet or fatigue are also some signs that people may want to pay attention to.

Dr. Greaves related that these are all general symptoms that doctors look for when it comes to cancers in general, in the early stages.

Women who would have already gone into menopause and after some years may experience some bleeding coming from the vagina, should engage a doctor.

Persons whose mother or sister have been diagnosed with breast cancer or who have a history of any type of cancer in their family should be screened regularly, Dr. Greaves emphasised. (Faith Greene)