Over 300 Men Screened for Prostate Cancer In Montego Bay

The Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) is strengthening its efforts to improve men’s access to prostate cancer screening, with more than 300 men turning out for a recent Men’s Health Day in Montego Bay.

Speaking at the event held on September 25 at the St. James Parish Church Hall, Fundraising and Public Relations Officer at the JCS, Shullian Brown, said the organisation remains committed to reaching more men as prostate cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Jamaican men.

Among the men who took advantage of the initiative was 49-year-old Ian Baker, who encountered the health fair while running errands in Montego Bay.

He told JIS News that he had wanted to have his prostate checked for some time, particularly given his father’s prostate cancer diagnosis several years ago.

“I want to know because sometimes when you know early, you are saving. That’s why I’m coming to do the test today. I thank God he (the doctor) said everything is fine,” he said, noting that the initiative also allowed him to benefit from other health checks.

For his part, Consultant Urological Surgeon, Dr. Roy McGregor, who has been involved in the JCS’s Men’s Health Day for several years, said he has observed a change in men’s attitudes towards screening, with more men seeking to know their health status.

He noted that early detection can broaden the treatment options available to patients, making regular screening important in identifying the disease before it advances.

“When you catch a cancer early, before it spreads, then you can cure it,” he pointed out.

Regional Cancer Programme Coordinator at the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Dr. Beverley Wright, told JIS News that the central location of the Men’s Health Day made the services more accessible to men, including those just travelling through the city.

“I believe that with the increased exposure – and I see where more and more men are speaking about it and encouraging our men to get tested and to follow up – we are building a momentum that in the next year or so, we will definitely have more men doing their [screening],” she said.

Dr. Wright encouraged men to follow up on abnormal screening results, noting that some do not return for appointments or are hesitant to proceed with further investigations.

The Montego Bay event was the third leg of the JCS’s Men’s Health Day, following stagings in Mandeville and St Thomas, which benefited 105 and 55 men, respectively.

Other services offered included oral cancer screening, teeth cleaning, blood sugar and blood pressure checks, HIV testing, eye screening and cholesterol testing.

The health fair also received support from volunteers and organisations, including Cornwall Regional Hospital, WRHA, St. James Public Health Department, Jamaica Urological Society, and the Lions Club, which provided 51 men with reading glasses.

The JCS is encouraging other entities to support the organisation so that screening services can be extended to other communities.