There are in fact, many survivors of this cancer in Jamaica. Simply being a woman puts one at risk for this cancer. The JCS advocates that all women do a baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 and 39 and then an annual mammogram from the age of 40. The mammogram will indicate whether there is a lump in the breast. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Jamaican women but Dr. Chevannes-Vogel emphasised that it was the most common cancer in women aged 15 to 24 years in Kingston and St. Andrew.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and all men are at risk.
Dr. Chevannes-Vogel said that the most common risk factor is age with more than 75 per cent of men positively diagnosed being older than 65. She said that there is some evidence that a diet higher in animal fat, may partly be the reason for a difference in the incidence of prostate cancer between countries. She also identified a genetic association and a family history of this cancer as risk factors. Difficulty in swallowing may be linked to cancer of the oesophagus. Abnormal bleeding, spotting or abnormal discharge may indicate cervical cancer.