GPHC to introduce unit for detecting, treating colon cancer

May 04, 2009 News

By Sharmain Cornette

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) will soon be able to provide a gastroenterology service which is expected to help in the reduction of the number of persons infected with colon cancer.
New York based gastroenterologist Dr Susan Ramdhaney-Stephens envisions that a gastroenterology unit will be in place by mid-next year at the GPHC.
Dr Ramdhaney-Stephens operates at a number of US hospitals and also has a private clinic. She is the wife of Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Heart Institute, Dr Gary Stephens.
In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, the physician said that she has been travelling back and forth with her husband over the past few years in his quest to provide a cardiological service which the people of his land of birth could access at a reduced cost.
And since she is unable to render assistance to her husband’s cause, Dr Ramdhaney-Stephens said that she decided to forge her own collaboration with the officials of the GPHC with a view of setting up a gastroenterology unit.

Dr Susan Ramdhaney-Stephens

Gastroenterology is the study of digestive diseases which involves systems of the oesophagus, stomach, colon, small bowels, pancreas and the liver. And according to the doctor one of the easily detectable diseases which could be fatal and preventable is colon cancer.
She revealed that in the US every individual over the age of 50 is expected to have a colonoscopy. “This is where we look into the colon with a camera to see if there are any abnormal growths and with the aid of a camera we can remove it,” Dr Ramdhaney-Stephens explained.
According to her, the use of the camera is simply a non-invasive procedure which can easily detect cancers in area such as the stomach and the oesophagus. And although the incidence of the disease here is not known she divulged that the idea to introduce the service is rooted in the fact that colon cancer is very prevalent in minorities and because there is no screening service offered locally.
“If you can detect colon cancer in somebody at the age of 45 or even a polyp, which is an abnormal growth, it can be removed very easily and that person’s life could be saved because it takes 10 years for these to become cancer.”
The Gastroenterology unit will also be able to address the impact of a number of other diseases prevalent in the Caribbean, Dr Ramdhaney-Stephens added.
“Different diseases such as gastrointestinal bleeds can be stopped easily with a camera without having to take the patient to the operating room. The camera is inserted through the mouth and into the stomach and can we look for the bleeding area and clip it or put heat on it and stop the bleeding. It is a very simple procedure that takes three minutes instead of putting the patient in the operating room to diagnose a bleed.”
Dr Ramdhaney-Stephens also related that in the Caribbean there are two major causes of liver diseases that can be found that are secondary to alcohol and Hepatitis C. Patients with such complications can easily develop cirrhosis, but can have a new lease on life if the ailments are detected early and treated.
At present, Dr Ramdhaney-Stephens and officials of the GPHC are in the process of investigating some of the possible places that they could purchase equipment for the unit.
“I know they are looking at buying some systems from other countries so right now we have not identified a source for the equipment.”
However, while plans are streamlined to have the service be offered in a hospital setting, Dr Ramdhaney-Stephens pointed out that the majority of the procedures could be done in an office.
“It is more comfortable for the patient because it is a very simple process that can have so much benefit. My hope is to have something running by the middle of next year and do serious cases in the hospital setting. Those that are not so sick and symptomatic can be looked at in an office setting,” Dr Ramdhaney added.
A well-placed government official confirmed that discussions have been ongoing with Dr Ramdhaney-Stephens and officials at the hospital for almost a year, pointing out that the plans are likely to come to fruition within the near future.