Cancer incidence and mortality rates and trends in Trinidad and Tobago.

Background: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Caribbean, including the islands of Trinidad and Tobago (TT). The population of TT consists of over 1.3 million people with diverse ancestral and sociocultural backgrounds, both of which may influence cancer incidence and mortality.

The National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago (NESTT): Rationale, Objectives and Methodology.

Purpose: This paper describes the rationale, study design and procedures of the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago (NESTT). The main objective of this survey is to obtain prevalence estimates of vision impairment and blindness for planning and policy development.

Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional survey was undertaken using random multistage cluster sampling, with probability-proportionate-to-size methods.

Addressing ethical challenges in the Genetics Substudy of the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago (GSNESTT).

Background: The conduct of international collaborative genomics research raises distinct ethical challenges that require special consideration, especially if conducted in settings that are research-naïve or resource-limited. Although there is considerable literature on these issues, there is a dearth of literature chronicling approaches taken to address these issues in the field. Additionally no previous ethical guidelines have been developed to support similar research in Trinidad and Tobago.

Building capacity for human genetics and genomics research in Trinidad and Tobago.

Advances in human genetics and genomic sciences and the corresponding explosion of biomedical technologies have deepened current understanding of human health and revolutionized medicine. In developed nations, this has led to marked improvements in disease risk stratification and diagnosis. These advances have also led to targeted intervention strategies aimed at promoting disease prevention, prolonging disease onset, and mitigating symptoms, as in the well-known case of breast cancer and the BRCA1 gene.

Associations among ancestry, geography and breast cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in Trinidad and Tobago.

Unlabelled: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common newly diagnosed cancer among women in Trinidad and Tobago (TT) and BC mortality rates are among the highest in the world. Globally, racial/ethnic trends in BC incidence, mortality and survival have been reported. However, such investigations have not been conducted in TT, which has been noted for its rich diversity.