Colon Cancer Screening

What is colorectal cancer screening?

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in both men and women. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 95,000 people will be diagnosed with CRC this year, and approximately 50,000 will die from the disease.

Colonoscopy is the gold standard for CRC screening because it allows doctors to see all of the lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum. A sigmoidoscopy only examines a part of your colon called your descending colon up to just before where it joins with your rectum. The doctor may also insert a tiny camera through an endoscope into your rectum for further examination if needed. Both procedures are recommended every 10 years starting at age 50 if you’re otherwise healthy and have no personal or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps larger than 1 cm in diameter (about 1 inch). If there’s any question about whether you should take part in CRC screening tests, talk to your doctor about getting tested sooner rather than later—that way, if something wrong does pop up on one of these tests or scans (which sometimes happens), there’s still plenty of time to address things before they become life-threatening problems!

Why should I have colorectal cancer screening?

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. Colon cancer screening can help find colon cancer early, which means it’s more likely to be cured.

If you’re at average risk for colorectal (bowel) cancer, you should talk with your doctor about whether you need to have regular screening tests.

When should I start getting colorectal cancer screening?

The American Cancer Society recommends colorectal cancer screening start at age 50 for people who have no signs or symptoms. Those who are at average risk should be screened every 10 years, but some experts recommend starting earlier and having regular screenings more often if you have a family history of colorectal cancer or other risk factors.

Some people are at higher risk for colorectal cancer because they have a history of precancerous growths called adenomatous polyps. Beginning screening between ages 45 and 75 is recommended in these cases, depending on how many adenomas you’ve had in the past, how large they were, whether you’ve had colonoscopy with removal of adenomas and other factors that can increase your risk for developing colorectal cancers.

African Americans should consider getting screened beginning at age 40 — not only because they’re more likely than whites to develop this type of cancer as well as others such as breast and prostate cancers — but also because there are fewer African-American physicians available for referrals for specialized procedures like colonoscopies (the procedure used during routine screening).

How often should I get colorectal cancer screening?

Colorectal cancer screening is a process that helps to find pre-cancerous growths (polyps) and early colorectal cancer before they cause symptoms.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and other organizations recommend that adults ages 45 to 75 get screened for colorectal cancer every 10 years or FIT test every year.

If you’re not sure about whether you should be screened for colon or rectal cancers at all, talk with your doctor about how often should I get screened for these cancers in order to determine if any further action is needed on your part.

In order to screen for colorectal cancer, you can have a fecal occult blood test (FOBT), colonoscopy, or virtual colonoscopy.

Fecal occult blood tests are the least invasive option and can be done at home. You take a sample of your stool and mail it to the lab by post. The test looks for tiny amounts of blood in the stool that are too small to be seen on the toilet paper. If FOBTs are positive, you may then need colonoscopy to determine what caused them.

Colonoscopy is an exam using a long flexible tube that has a lighted scope at one end and camera at the other end. It allows doctors see inside parts of your digestive tract including: – Large intestine (colon) – Rectum A doctor will use this procedure if they suspect colorectal cancer during an exam or find abnormal growths during other screening tests like FOBTs

What are the pros and cons of the different methods for colorectal cancer screening?

Fecal occult blood test

The pros: This is the most common way to screen for colorectal cancer. It’s inexpensive, easy to use and available at most doctors’ offices. A kit is mailed to you, and you collect the samples yourself in your home at any time of day (or night) without needing to make an appointment or travel anywhere special. The test can be done while consuming foods that may cause a false positive result, like red meat or beets, which makes it very convenient for some people. If there are no results after three days, you can repeat the test using different methods on different days until you have enough samples collected.

The cons: Some people find it embarrassing because they have to collect their own stool in a container provided by the manufacturer of the kit without anyone else watching them do it—although others find this aspect liberating because they can do it whenever best suits their schedule instead of having to wait for an appointment with a doctor or nurse practitioner (NPs). If there’s blood present in one sample but not all three collected over three days, that means something could still be wrong—and since only one sample has been tested so far, there would still be uncertainty about whether serious problems are developing inside your body. Also remember that if someone else sees those containers when they bring them back from being filled out by mail order companies such as Quest Diagnostics®, LabCorp® and Integrated Medical Solutions®, Inc., then they know something suspicious might be going on with their patient.”

What happens if my stool test is positive?

If your test is positive, you will need to have a colonoscopy. If the colonoscopy is negative, you will need to be tested again in 3 years. If it’s positive, you will need to have a follow up colonoscopy.

In addition to the risk for developing cancerous polyps (which sometimes turn into cancer), there are other reasons why someone might be at risk for developing colorectal cancer:

• Family history of any type of gastrointestinal cancer
• Age—the older you get, the more likely it is that something like this will happen to you
• Gender—men are more likely than women to develop colorectal cancer

Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer screening, but other options exist

• Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer screening.
• The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recommends that all adults aged 45 to 75 years old receive one of the following tests: flexible sigmoidoscopy, CT colonography, or double-contrast barium enema.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that you should get screened for colorectal cancer. If you’re at risk, there are many different ways to do it. The best method depends on your age, medical history and preferences—but even though colonoscopy is the gold standard, some people choose not to have that test because they don’t like having a tube in their rectum or they don’t think it’s safe. In any case, if you’re worried about colon cancer (or any other gastrointestinal disease), talk to your doctor about what kind of screening would be best for your situation! We hope this article helped educate you about these important topics.