Cancer Society to Focus on Screenings
By: , April 5, 2018The Key Point:
Photo: Adrian Walker
Executive Director, Jamaica Cancer Society, Yulit Gordon, addresses recent JIS ‘Think Tank’.The Facts
- Speaking with JIS News, Executive Director of the Jamaica Cancer Society, Yulit Gordon, outlined that the focus this year is on women, due to the fact that cervical cancer has become a major concern.
- “It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Jamaican women, affecting mainly those between the ages of 30 and 50 years,” she noted.
The Full Story
In observance of World Cancer Awareness Day on Friday, April 6, the Jamaica Cancer Society will be coordinating a number of activities, with the key focus being on screenings.
Speaking with JIS News, Executive Director of the Jamaica Cancer Society, Yulit Gordon, outlined that the focus this year is on women, due to the fact that cervical cancer has become a major concern.
“It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Jamaican women, affecting mainly those between the ages of 30 and 50 years,” she noted.
Cervical cancer can very often be successfully treated when it is discovered early by carrying out a pap smear to determine whether there is the presence of the human papillomavirus (HPV)
It is usually recommended that women over the age of 21 get screened annually in order to detect any cell abnormalities in the cervix.
On April 6, the Cancer Society will be offering pap smear testing at a reduced rate of $2,430 to members of the Society and $2,565 to non-members.
All major health insurance cards will be accepted and the first 50 women who arrive on the day for screening will be tested at no cost.
The Jamaica Cancer Society is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) with a mission to “eliminate cancer as a major health problem in Jamaica”, through cancer education, counselling and outreach initiatives.