The Tribune

Eleuthera Wellness Hospital and Clinics is teaming up again with Island Luck to provide free testing for men during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month which is observed in September.

This is the third year Island Luck has made free screening available on Eleuthera but this year is the  the first time it will be available throughout the expanded Eleuthera Wellness network from Spanish Wells in the north to Rock Sound in the south as well as the flagship Eleuthera Wellness Hospital in Palmetto Point, the first hospital on a family island.

“We cannot overstate the importance of every man over the age of 40 getting tested on an annual basis for prostate cancer,” said Eleuthera Wellness founder and CEO Dr Arlington Lightbourne. “Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of death among men and is most common in older men, men with a family history of prostate cancer, but the positive news is that a prostate cancer diagnosis is not a death warrant – if detected early, it is nearly 100 per cent treatable with excellent, long-lasting remission results. The key is early detection.”

More than 1.5 million men are diagnosed with prostate cancer globally every year and according to medical experts in The Bahamas, two Bahamian men are diagnosed with the disease every week. The country’s first prime minister Lynden Pindling died of prostate cancer, and his death a wake-up call to many, said Dr Lightbourne. He said that many men put off the testing because it once required an uncomfortable physical exam.

“Fortunately, a physical exam is no longer a mandatory part of the screening standards for prostate cancer, and we get critical information, including information about some aspects of general health, from a simple blood test,” said Dr Lightbourne.

That test checks for a protein antigen and the benefit of an annual exam for men is that it allows lab technicians and physicians to note year-over-year changes.

“All men experience a larger prostate as they age and there is nothing that necessarily indicates disease by an enlarged gland,” says Dr Lightbourne. “We need to work harder to help men understand that there is nothing to fear with the testing – the lab test is processed right here in Eleuthera – and if there is a an abnormal or concerning PSA level, appropriate confirmation tests are then recommended to ensure correct diagnosis.

Early detection is the best way to produce the desired outcome and quite often the difference between a good, healthy life with continued activity or the outcome you do not want because you waited too long.”

While prostate cancer is the fourth leading death from cancer behind lung, breast and colorectal, it is the second leading cause of cancer death for men in the Bahamas.

“We want to thank Island Luck for once again making these screenings possible without charge to men throughout Eleuthera – they can be a life-changer,” said Dr Lightbourne.

All Island Luck account holders with a valid ID and Island Luck card are eligible.

Men are urged to contact the Eleuthera Wellness Hospital or any Eleuthera Wellness satellite location to learn more or to schedule a visit. Contact 322-0224 by phone, or 470-WELL (9355) by WhatsApp.

Eleuthera Wellness Hospital maintains daily extended hours for urgent care, as well as 24/7 hours for emergencies and hospital admissions. Walk-in urgent care and diagnostic services, including comprehensive laboratory testing, x-ray, ultrasound, CT scans, and other imaging services are available from 8am-6pm, including weekends and holidays.