Yearly rise in youth cancer cases

And currently, there are 236 cases from the zero to 14 age group, comprising 125 boys and 111 girls. This was stated yesterday by Minister of Public Utilities and the Environment, Pennelope Beckles. She drew her information from the result of research work done by the Faculty of Medicine at UWI, St Augustine. Beckles said the faculty conducted cervical cancer research among five top secondary schools in the country.

"Of the 474 students between the ages of 14 and 19 who participated in the survey, 29 percent had never heard about cervical cancer or a cervical smear," said Beckles. She spoke at the cancer launch ceremony at the Marriott Hotel, Invaders Bay.

Beckles said from the UWI findings, there was no doubt that information and education programmes on cancer were vital to the youth population as well as to children diagnosed with the disease along with their families and support groups.