Cancer in the Small Developing Island States of the Eastern Caribbean

Caribbean studies examining overseas cancer care were lacking patient-level data. Investigators will collect data from patients by establishing a cohort of survivors across six small island developing states (SIDS) (Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent). This proposal is novel for the Caribbean, and it is the first step in identifying the critical performance gaps and leverage points in the process of overseas referral for cancer care. Investigators will compare for the first time, the characteristics and experiences of Caribbean cancer survivors in SIDS who seek care overseas to those who received care on-island.

My overarching goal is to investigate the effects of overseas travel for care on patient-centered outcomes in Caribbean SIDS, and to build a research resource to study cancer survival, as I develop my career as an independent mixed-method investigator.

Our primary aims are to (P1): Map patterns of overseas travel for cancer care among cancer survivors of six member states of the OECS and (P2): Explore the lived experience of cancer survivors and caregivers and how overseas travel for care affects their social support systems.

Investigators anticipate that (H1) a substantial proportion of cancer survivors travel outside of their resident country for cancer. We expect certain destinations to be more frequented among cancer survivors by individual characteristics (cancer site, stage and country of residence). We also expect that (H2) overseas care may be associated with both challenges and adaptations in social support systems, as explored qualitatively through survivor and caregiver accounts.

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Key information

Conditions

Neoplasm Neoplasms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Breast Friends Women in Touch, St John's, Antigua and Barbuda

About this study

CaSIDEC is an acronym for "Cancer in SIDS of the Eastern Caribbean". Our overarching ambition is to explore how overseas travel for care may affect key domains of cancer survivorship. Survivorship will be our long-term focus and goes beyond survival as commonly measured in clinical trials (i.e. time to death from diagnosis) and will include measures on how individuals experience life with cancer. In this study, overseas care will be considered as any travel across international country borders (including the Caribbean) regardless of the payment mechanism (e.g. out of pocket or government subsidized).

As a first step, investigators wish to contribute towards building research capacity in SIDS. The CaSIDEC study aims to generate foundational evidence on transnational cancer care pathways and survivorship in SIDS of the Eastern Caribbean. Given the limited availability of standardized epidemiological data in this region, investigators wish to establish data resources, measurement approaches, and analytic frameworks necessary to support future hypothesis-driven and causal research on this topic.

In terms of impact, the data from the current study will guide decisions at the patient, provider and policy level. It will inform notably decisions on how overseas referral pathways should be organized across the OECS subregion.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Primary aim 1 (P1): We will include cancer survivors 18 years of age or older, able to communicate in English or local dialect (without cognitive impairment), with an invasive cancer diagnosis (any cancer site, histology, and year of diagnosis), and having accessed health services in their island of residence (i.e. Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent ) due to their cancer. Participation will include written authorization to access each patient's data from medical records in health care institutions and centers
Primary aim 2 (P2): For the qualitative segment of this proposal, field investigators across the 6 islands will purposefully identify cancer survivors and caregivers of survivors who (1) are receiving or already finished their initial active treatment at the time of the study, (2) received a treatment requiring the intervention of a medical professional (e.g. surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy), and (3) are willing to provide written consent for one-on-one interviews and/or focus group discussions.

Exclusion criteria

Treatment and study plan

Overeseas travel for care

Other

Cancer survivors who travel overseas travel for care (observation)

Primary outcomes

Destination country for cancer treatment

Time frame: At inclusion (0 days)

We will map and characterize patterns of overseas care.We will compute the proportion or cancer survivors who travelledtraveled overseas for diagnosis and treatment among the entire sample. The proportion of overseas travel will be computed as well by cancer site, OECS country, period of diagnosis, and type of diagnostics and treatment accessed. Where possible we will characterize overseas travel by region (Caribbean, North America, South America, Europe, and other) and by destination country.
Social support system

Time frame: At inclusion (0 days)

Qualitative interviews for social support will be initiated by an introductory question "describe the support you received during the cancer journey", then guided by questions and prompts "who", "what was the relationship to you? such as a family, friend, neighbours" and "when". Participants will be encouraged to focus on aspects of the day-to-day logistics and travel arrangements, experience living overseas.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Vaughan A. Lewis Institute for Research and Innovation

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Overseas Care and Cancer Survivorship in Small Island Developing States of the Eastern Caribbean

Acronym: CaSIDEC

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2028
Study completion: 2028
First posted: Jul 10, 2026
Registry last updated: Jul 10, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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