With regard to the methods of early diaqnosis and medical
treatment of cancer, The National Cancer Institute recently has
reported major gains in survival.
Specifically, leukemia and
breast cancer are among those cancer sites which show the greater
gains in survival following therapy.
In light of these facts and because cancer is the leading
cause of death amongst the Marshallese,
the health care plan for
the Marshall Islands must include an intensive cancer control
program.
This cancer control program should include, as a minimum,
the following elements:
1.
A Cancer Registry.
Current estimates of morbidity and
mortality in the Marshall Islands come primarily from
hospital discharge and clinic sick call data.
Efforts
should be made to ensure complete reporting of all cancers.
Only by such a registry system can the full
extent of cancer incidence and cancer control be fully
evaluated.
2.
Cancer Screening.
this element should be directed
toward the early diagnosis of radiation related cancer,
i.e. breast, lung, lymohatic and thyroid cancer, as well
as leukemia.
In addition, the health care proposal must include a program
of genetic screening.
This should entail studies involving large
scale genetic analysis of the Marshallese and also more diversified,
specific studies of those exposed to radiation.
Results from both
of these efforts would contribute significantly to the interpretation