Because of the diversity of our community, cancer trends in Cayman might not look like those in other populations. Once we have a solid foundation of information with regard to how this disease impacts our country, health officials and researchers can do everything possible in terms of cancer prevention and management.

With the data that we collect, we can see how many people are diagnosed with cancer each year, what types of cancer are most common, and whether current prevention efforts are effective.

Breast cancer is, by far, the most commonly reported cancer to the CICR. Approximately 37% of reported cases are breast cancer. This percentage has remained fairly static since data collection efforts began. Of these reported breast cancers, approximately 4.1% were diagnosed in patients under age 30, 12.5 % were diagnosed in patients aged 30-39, 36.3% diagnosed in patients aged 40-49, and 47% in patients age 50 and above.

Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma is the most widely reported type of breast cancer to the cancer registry. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma (sometimes called Invasive Ductal Carcinoma) is the most common form of breast cancer, representing 80% of all breast cancer diagnoses.

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is one of the most widely-supported campaigns to raise cancer awareness in the world. One way in which breast cancer survivors in Cayman can show their support for breast cancer research is to join the CICR. The CICR is a voluntary health registry, which means we rely on cancer survivors to voluntarily provide their information to us.

The registration process is fast and easy, and all information shared is kept strictly confidential.

Every time a cancer survivor joins the registry, they are bringing us one step closer to understanding what cancer trends look like in our community.