Caribbean News

New Technology Revolutionizing Prostate Cancer Treatment

Published

7 years ago

September 26, 2017

#Jamaica, September 26, 2017 – Kingston – New technology is revolutionizing the way in which prostate cancer patients are being treated for the disease, to achieve improved outcomes. President of the Caribbean Urological Association (CURA), Dr. William Aiken, told JIS News that new information has been derived through extensive cancer research that could save lives.

He explained that there are several new tools available that can greatly assist in differentiating between cancers that are lethal and those that are relatively indolent, in order to selectively treat those deemed life-threatening.

Chief among these, Dr. Aiken said, is the multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test.

“MRI uses the magnetic field created by the molecules in the body and interprets the variation in that field and gives an image on a computer screen that can be interpreted to say whether or not cancer is present,” he explained.

Dr. William Aiken

Additionally, Dr. Aiken said there are several parameters currently being used with MRI that give anatomical detail or indicate what the prostate looks like and whether there are nodules present on it. According to Dr. Aiken, who is a Senior Lecturer at the University of the West Indies, it also gives functional information that helps to differentiate between tumors that are high-grade or likely to cause death and those that are relatively indolent and can be left alone.

He noted that using varying parameters that give the information about the tumor tissue helps to determine whether it is high- or low-grade.

“We are able to selectively watch men in those cases where we don’t think there is anything significant’ like a rabid or aggressive tumor, and we are able to recommend biopsy for those men who have suspected high-grade lesions.” he explained.

Dr. Aiken pointed out that this technology is relatively new, adding that the trans-rectal ultra sound guided biopsy which has been used over the years is still being utilized. The procedure is one where the prostate is sampled randomly and relatively blindly, whereas the MRI is able to pinpoint a targeted area that is likely to have a focus of aggressive or high-grade cancer.

Dr. Aiken said that medicine was approaching an era of personalized treatment and that despite this procedure not yet being fully developed, “we are getting to (a point) where we can take a cancer patient and individualize treatment based on the features and molecular biomarkers of the cancer, to selectively treat that patient in a particular way rather than treating everybody the same”.

Meanwhile, the CURA President is warning men against taking selenium and vitamin E supplements to prevent prostate cancer. He explained that in the past, the two supplements were recommended as a prostate cancer-prevention method, adding that new research has shown that these do more harm than good. Dr. Aiken said it is recommended that men espouse eating a balanced diet, minimizing their intake of saturated and animal fat, limiting their intake of dairy products and exercising regularly to keep their body weight down.

He pointed out that while obesity does not cause prostate cancer, men with the disease who are obese have worse outcomes.

September is observed globally as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Caribbean News

CARICOM pushes need for Reparations Tribunal at Forum in Geneva

Published

11 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer

Words are in circulation in support for the establishment of an international tribunal, geared towards seeking reparations for centuries long transatlantic slave trade, after a CARICOM official made calls at the third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) in Geneva, Switzerland.

During day two of the gathering held from April 16 to 19, 2024, David Comissiong, Barbados Ambassador to the Caribbean Community, stated there is a need for the tribunal as there is currently no international court to deal with the issues of reparations.

Commision, like the other members that support his view, according to reports, are aware this won’t be an easy feat, as he expressed that establishing the tribunal would require a “positive decision” by the UN General Assembly, further calling on the officials at the Forum and the UN, to come together through international collaboration and “make this happen.”

The idea creation of the tribunal was born last year 2023, suggested by the PFPAD, now reiterated by Comissiong.

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, in a video, addressing the opening of the forum, supported the ongoing calls for respiratory efforts, a sentiment not shared by many.

Mentioning that racism is still an issue in today’s society, Guterres said, “ now we must build on that momentum, to drive meaningful change by ensuring that people of African descent enjoy the full and equal realization of their human rights; by stepping up efforts to eliminate racism and discrimination, including through reparations.”

Caribbean News

CARICOM sends warning as Oil prices creep higher in the Israel v Iran conflict; 14 regional states import energy

Published

11 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

Garfield Ekon
Staff Writer

The recent attack on the Sate of Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran, has delivered growing uncertainty across the Caribbean region, and the rest of the global economy.

Chief among the many concerns, is the free flow of oil from the Middle East, which stands at 31% of daily production for the global economy. At minimum, shipping costs are likely to increase based on the increased risk of military action in the Persian Gulf.

Pressure is also building on US and European insurance clubs to avoid any transaction, including those with China, that involve Iranian crude and additional rerouting of oil and gas shipments in response to Houthi threats, or Allied responses.

According to the Caribbean Community Council of Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), “these developments not only exacerbate the already tense situation but also pose significant threats to regional stability and international peace,” the group warned in a media statement.

It added that the continued cycle of retaliation, including the recent attack on Israel by Hamas, Israel’s “disproportionate response” in Gaza, and the “alarming new dimension of direct confrontations between Israel and Iran, leads to an untenable situation fraught with potential for greater regional conflict and global instability.

“The human toll of this conflict, highlighted by tragic incidents such as deaths and injuries to children, demand an immediate and empathetic response from the global community. It is imperative that there be no further escalation that can lead to more suffering and instability,” it said.

While calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, the regional body underscored that it strongly urges both nations to halt any further military actions that could worsen the situation, endangering not only their own populations but also the broader international community.

“We implore all parties to consider the severe consequences of further conflict and to commit to diplomatic solutions that ensure the safety, sovereignty, and dignity of all people involved,” the CARICOM statement said.

On October 6, 2023, the day before Hamas attacked Israel, the international benchmark Brent crude was trading at $85 per barrel and has been fluctuating at up to $96.

On Thursday, it traded at $91 per barrel. With the exception of gas-rich Trinidad and Tobago, the 14 other countries of CARICOM, are energy importers.

Approximately 93 percent of the region’s energy needs are met by oil imports, which average 13% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Caribbean News

Gov’t Committed to Seeking Reparations for Chattel Slavery – Minister Grange

Published

11 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

KINGSTON, April 16 (JIS):

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, says the Jamaican Government remains committed to seeking reparations for the prolonged period of chattel enslavement endured by the African forefathers on the country’s plantations.

Minister Grange said that the historical events of the transatlantic slave trade continue to have a lasting impact on Black communities to this day.

She contended that the ongoing struggles to finance education and healthcare, address poverty and housing issues, respond to economic shocks and climate change impacts, and foster peaceful societies are all rooted in the historical legacy of enslavement.

Minister Grange was addressing a church service on Sunday (April 14) at the Webster Memorial United Church in St. Andrew, where an apology was issued on behalf of the United Reform Church (URC) in the United Kingdom (UK) by Moderator of the Assembly of the URC, Reverend Tessa Henry-Robinson, for the church’s historical involvement in slavery.

“We, the general assembly of the United Reform Church, mindful of our own history and that of our antecedent bodies, wish to confess and apologise for our role in transatlantic slavery and the scars which continue to blight our society, our church and the lives of Black people in our midst and around the globe today,” the apology read.

Minister Grange, in accepting the apology, urged UK churches, particularly those whose representatives were present for the historic apology in Jamaica, to communicate to their government the ethical imperative of admitting culpability through an apology and working with Jamaica to discern the potential avenues for reparations.

She said that the church’s role in the transatlantic slave trade has had significant and enduring effects on Black communities, impacting society, the church itself, and the lives of Black individuals worldwide.

“It is this complicity of the church that gave solace and comfort to the citizens and governments of UK and Europe as they endorsed and defended with their military project, that saw the capture, the torture, the dehumanisation, and devaluation of African people, legacies of which we experience today as racism, white supremacy, and discrimination,” she stated.

“We struggle to build peaceful, stable societies because of the perpetration of violence which was the platform on which enslavement was executed yet, in spite of this, we have been good converts to these same religions. Our people have adopted and adapted the doctrines and rituals of these new religions and in many instances have energised and revitalised them with cultural practices of African spirituality,” the Minister emphasised.

The URC is a community of Christians gathering in local churches across England, Scotland, and Wales, and is part of the global family of Reformed Churches, comprising more than 70 million Christians.

With approximately 42,000 members in around 1,200 congregations, supported by more than 600 ministers, the URC plays a significant role in the spiritual and communal life of its members and the broader community.

CONTACT: BRITNEY STEVENS