Options For Colon Cancer Screening

Why is regular colon cancer screening important? Majority of the people diagnosed with colon cancer are aged 50 and above and exhibit no symptoms. Regular colon cancer screening can reduce the average victim’s risk of dying from colorectal cancer by as much as ninety percent. In fact, when diagnosed early, most colon cancers are completely curable.

Apparently, the best defense against the spread of colon cancer is still regular colon cancer screening. In the same manner that not smoking goes a long way in preventing lung cancer, regular screening for and removal of colon polyps — small, protruding clumps of cells on the inside the colon walls — can help prevent colon cancer.

Regular colon cancer screening tests are designed to find pre-cancerous growths or benign polyps so that they can be removed before they can become cancerous. The American Cancer Society recommends that all adults begin colon cancer screening at age 50. People at higher risk should begin screening earlier.

How do you know if you are at higher risk to develop colon cancer? Risk factors include genetics, age, family and/or personal history of cancer, low-fiber diets that are especially high in red meat, smoking, high alcohol intake, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, family predisposition to polyps, diabetes, and ethnicity. If any of these factors are applicable to you, it is best you begin regular colon cancer screening even if you are not yet 50 years old.

There are many colon cancer screening methods available, and depending on your level of comfort, you can choose one that is right for you. Keep in mind that you are going to be doing this on a regular basis. The best way to go about this is to make your doctor a true partner in screening for colon cancer.

The most common screening methods are the following:

  • Barium enema – For this colon cancer screening procedure, your doctor uses an enema to fill your colon with barium sulfate. X-rays are then taken while you hold the liquid inside you. Barium sulfate is visible in x-rays, so the result is a two-dimensional view of your colon and rectum which will show any abnormalities.
  • Colonoscopy – In this procedure, you are sedated as a doctor inserts a colonoscope, which is a flexible tube with a camera, into your anus. The camera displays the insides of your column on a video monitor as it travels all the way to the end of your colon. This method is great because it can remove polyps, or the pre-cancerous growths.
  • Sigmoidoscopy – A sigmoidoscopy is a lot like a colonoscopy, but only lets you see the lower part of your colon. It also uses a small camera attached to a flexible tube, called a sigmoidoscope
  • Virtual colonoscopy – This procedure is called “virtual” because it uses a computer program to generate a 3D picture of your colon from x-ray images. This can also check for polyps, cancer, and other abnormalities.
  • Fecal occult blood test – This colon cancer screening method detects unnoticeable blood in your stool that could be from a colon or rectal tumor.

Other colon cancer screening tests are currently being studied. One such test, the DNA stool test, checks your stool samples for changes in the DNA. This test is very noninvasive, and requires no preparation other than the sending of a stool sample. Colonoscopy, however, is still the most reliable test because it also removes polyps.