Consultant gastroenterologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Dr Avonello Maynard, is seeking to set the record straight on long-standing misconceptions surrounding colorectal cancer—it has no link to sexual lifestyle practices.Speaking at the Caribbean Colon Cancer Initiative’s open day at the QEH on Friday, Dr Maynard stressed that colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Barbados, yet screening rates remain dangerously low.“Education is key,” he said. “People need to know at what age they should be screened, why they should be screened, and understand that this affects both men and women equally.”Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in Barbados, trailing only behind breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.“That’s why screening is so critical,” Dr Maynard stressed. “Right now, only about 25 per cent of cases are detected through screening, which is far too low. Ideally, over 65 per cent of cases should be caught through early detection.”This lack of early screening has had dire consequences, he said.“More than 70 per cent of our patients are diagnosed only after the cancer has spread beyond the bowel. By then, we’re not talking about curing them; we’re talking about prolonging life with additional therapy,” the gastroentologist said.Even more troubling, he noted, “A quarter of those patients already have cancer in their lungs and liver, and for them, unfortunately, it’s just palliative care.”International research has shown that colorectal cancer is becoming more prevalent in younger individuals, a trend Dr Maynard attributes to modifiable risk factors such as diet, obesity, and lack of physical activity. As a result, the recommended age for screening has been lowered from 50 to 45.