Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 18, 2024 (SKNIS): Residents of St. Kitts and Nevis over the age of 45 years and others with a family history of cancer, are strongly encouraged to get screened for colon cancer.

Dr. Mark Grant, Consultant General Surgeon, at the Joseph N. France (J.N.F.) General Hospital shared the advice on the October 16 edition of InFocus, while discussing the recent addition of two colonoscopes and two gastroscopes at J.N.F.

Photo: Dr. Mark Grant encouraged persons to get screened

“We want for somebody who is at the age of 45 years to say I need to have a colonoscopy,” he stated. “It shouldn’t be because you had a change in your bowel movement or have some form of infection there. It should be because you get to the age of 45 and you recognise, if you get a colon screening at this age then that might protect me for the next 10 years.”

The colonoscopes and gastroscopes will help to make it easier to diagnose and treat what has become the third most common cancer worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

“We would prefer people to have colonoscopies at the earliest opportunity to be able to pick up that growth before it becomes a cancer. Before it is cancer, we can just remove it via the colonoscope or the gastroscope and prevent it from becoming a problem throughout the rest of the body” he stated. “On the other hand, if it is allowed to progress to the point that it becomes malignant we are now dealing with a major surgical procedure and the outcomes sometimes are far different.”

The donation of the two machines by the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board will ensure that one of the machines is available to use, while the other is properly cleaned and maintained after use.