One person is diagnosed with cancer everyday on Guam. It’s shocking data from the Guam Cancer Registry’s most recent publication. An expert on the topic shared what this compiled data means for the island community moving forward. 

"I would say our mortality rate continues to be high," noted Renata Bordallo. In addition to an island resident being diagnosed with cancer everyday locally, one Guamanian dies of cancer every two days.  The Guam Cancer Registry’s most recent publication of Guam’s cancer facts and figures detail that sobering data.

The five-year study covering 2013 to 2017 illustrating just how severe a burden cancer remains in our community.  Bordallo, a research associate and data collection specialist with the University of Guam's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, told KUAM News, "Nationally as well as locally for the past decade, cancer rates have slightly been going down, including Guam. However, our mortality rates are really high. Even with this last five-year period, they have gone higher. And so we are very worried about that."

It’s a concern affecting many on Guam as cancer remains the second leading cause of death.  But Bordallo says many of these deaths should have been prevented, noting, "For example, cervical cancer, no one should die of cervical cancer. Because if it’s caught in the early stages, it’s very treatable and very much curable."

"[Cervical cancer] is fifth in mortality rate. And it shouldn’t be like that. And actually it’s like that in all of Micronesia."

The study shows that many people, especially the undeserved community, are not getting screened early enough.  "I think a lot of that has to do with what they call 'social determinants of health', like their access to healthcare, maybe a lack of interpreters," said Bordallo. "So we need to do much better outreach with the Micronesian community other than CHamorus."

She says the data helps health officials and leaders target areas in need in cancer prevention, like translating the data into policies.  "One of the successes was the increase in tobacco tax. That has been proven to lower the rate of smoking and lower the rate of cancer," she said. "So that was a policy, that was a law that went into effect, I believe, in 2010."

The publication was done in partnership with UOG, the Guam Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition, and the Department of Public Health and Social Services. "It’s up to researchers and the people of Guam to look at this data and interpret it and see what types of laws and policies would help," she said.

You can read the full publication at UOG’s Guam Cancer Registry.