Wednesday 28 November 2001
The first results of a study of cancer incidence in the Falkland Islands provides evidence that mortality rates could be reduced by bowel cancer screening.
Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, the biggest cancer centre in Europe, analysed data from an eleven year study of the Falklands and found a very high rate of bowel cancer among the Islanders. But significantly, they have evidence that a bowel cancer screening programme, introduced in the Islands seven years ago, may have had positive results.
Surprisingly, the researchers also found that, despite the general perception that the bowel cancer screening test is unpleasant, nearly all the Islanders invited to be screened took part. The findings are published in the British Journal of Cancer1.
Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer after breast cancer among women in the UK and the third most common in men, after lung and prostate cancer.
Professor Anthony Swerdlow is an epidemiologist at The Institute of Cancer Research and first author of the study. He analysed the data produced by the Falklands medical department, and comments: "The unique circumstances of life in the Falkland Islands may have influenced cancer risks for the Islanders. Because of the isolated nature of the Falklands, around half of the inhabitants can trace their roots back to the 38 original settlers - which may explain why some of the population share a pre-disposition to bowel cancer.
In addition, prior to the 1982 Conflict, the diet of the Islanders had been unusually high in animal fat and low in fresh fruit and vegetables. These factors may have affected the risks of certain cancers within the population.
The researchers studied the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands between 1989 and 2000 and compared cancer incidence rates with those in England and Wales. The Islanders are themselves largely of British origin.
Professor Swerdlow's team found that between 1989 and 2000, the overall incidence of cancer in the population was similar to that expected in England and Wales. But the incidence rate of certain cancers was seen to be much higher.
However, the researchers found evidence that a bowel cancer screening programme introduced on the Islands from 1994 had a positive impact on the high incidence of bowel cancer seen at the beginning of the period studied.
Professor Swerdlow comments: "It was very encouraging to find evidence that a screening programme in the Islands may have been successful in combating the high incidence of bowel cancer. This study is of course based on small numbers of cases so we will have to continue monitoring cancer rates in the Islands before we can reach definite conclusions."
Dr Barry Elsby, a General Practitioner on the Falkland Islands, who both initiated the study and collected the data adds: "Interestingly, through our study, we found that there had been a very high up-take of screening by the Islanders - perhaps due to the atmosphere of mutual support which exists in a small island community. There certainly appears to be something to learn from the Falklands experience on how to encourage people to go for bowel screening as a preventive measure - especially since the tests for bowel cancer are perceived as unpleasant."
Trials and studies of different bowel cancer screening techniques are currently taking place throughout England and Wales in several research sites around the country.
Professor Peter Rigby, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research said: "Any news of a reduction in the number of people dying from bowel cancer is of course extremely welcome. The results of this first study of the Falkland Islanders are encouraging."
Professor Swerdlow and his team also found that there was a raised incidence of cancers of the larynx among the Islanders, possibly explained by the relatively high consumption of alcohol and tobacco in the Falklands.
And strikingly, although there is a total lack of air pollution and no industrial occupations in the Falklands, lung cancer rates among the Islanders were similar to those in England and Wales - probably also linked to widespread smoking among the community.
Dr Elsby initiated the study of cancer incidence in the Islands in order to discover more about how cancer incidence among his patients in the Falklands compared with those in England and Wales - the ethnic ancestors of the majority of his patients.
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For further information, please contact The Institute of Cancer Research press office on 020 7970 6056/07721 747 900.
Notes to editors
- The Falkland Islands are a United Kingdom overseas territory situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, 400 miles from the southern tip of South America. The Islands have been under British control since 1833, and the population of 2,379 is almost entirely of British origin.
- Please visit www.falklands.gov.fk or www.falklandislands.com or please contact Abby Smith/Frances Knox, Keene Public Affairs on 020 7287 0652 ([email protected]) for more information about the Falkland Islands.
- Dr Elsby carries out the bowel cancer screening campaign on the Falklands.
- The researchers studied the 930 males and 792 females who had been living in the Falklands for five years at the time of its census in 1996. From 1994, all Islanders aged 56 - 75 years were screened for bowel cancer.
- In the five years before screening was introduced, there were nine cases of malignant bowel cancer in the Falklands but since the screening of the population was conducted, only one case has been diagnosed.
1 Cancer Incidence in the Falkland Islands. British Journal of Cancer Volume 85, Issue 9
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