Colorectal Cancer Screening

Colorectal Cancer Screening

Colorectal Cancer Screening

 

According to the American Cancer Society, there is “95,520 new cases of colon cancer,” estimated for 2017. It is the third most common cancer excluding skin cancer in the United States. The disease affects both men and women. The discovery of and spread of the colorectal cancer can be prevented through regular cancer screenings.

What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer is also known as colon cancer. It starts in the colon or rectum and are often grouped with rectal cancer because of similar features. Symptoms include abdominal pain as well as a change in bowel movements. A polyp may develop in the colon or rectum’s inner lining and turn into cancer which is why it’s important to have it monitored.

Who Gets Colorectal Cancer?

People over the age of 50 are at greater risk for this form of cancer. Men and women who have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Crohn’s Disease or other similar bowel-related diseases as well as smokers, drinkers, and consumers of red meat have a greater chance of developing and being diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Statistically, men have a greater chance of developing the disease. The American Cancer Society reports that “Overall, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is: about 1 in 21 (4.7%) for men and 1 in 23 (4.4%) for women.” There isn’t a large margin of difference between the two sexes which means that everyone should be screened for the disease.

What Does a Screening for Colorectal Cancer Entail?

Screenings for colorectal cancer has helped the death rate decrease for several decades. Men and women with polyps are having them removed before they turn to cancer. The survival rate connected with colorectal cancer in the United States has improved, too, with over 1 million people surviving the deadly disease.

A colonoscopy is the most common screening process for patients with colorectal cancer symptoms. The doctor will give you very clear instructions to follow to prepare for the procedure. You’ll be asked to drink clear liquids and to stop eating solid foods.

You may even be required to take a laxative or a special drink to consume that helps with the colonoscopy. You’ll also be given medication that helps you relax. This makes it easier for the doctor to insert the colonoscope through the rectum and into the colon.

He or she will then be able to monitor your body for ulcers and polyps. Any polyp that is present is removed and tested for cancer. Your doctor will then monitor you closely for future signs of colorectal cancer because of the discovery they made.

After the procedure is complete, you’ll remain at the facility where you can be watched. You’ll then need someone to drive you home as the medication you were given at the time of the colonoscopy makes you drowsy and impairs judgement. You’ll need to drink a good amount of water to replace what you lost during the preparatory process.

You’ll then wait to hear back from the surgeon who may have sent tissue in to the lab for further testing. You can have results back in as few as a couple days or weeks. It depends on what was discovered and how busy the lab is at the time they received the samples.

Take Charge of Your Health by Scheduling a Screening Today

There is nothing more empowering than taking an active interest in your own health. By knowing what risk factors exist, you have ways to prevent and fight colorectal cancer should you be diagnosed with it. Partnering up with a trusted medical professional is the quickest, easiest, and most reliable way to learn more about your health.

Schedule a Colorectal Cancer screening with Surgical Specialist of Long Island right away. It’s important that you take preventative steps by meeting with a physician who can monitor you for signs of this form of cancer.

Having a physician you feel comfortable speaking to helps you ask the right kinds of questions that help your health. If colon surgery is in your future, you’ll relax knowing that it is performed by a surgeon you trust. The process is minimally invasive, too, meaning that you’ll heal faster and be back to your day-to-day activities in no time.

The Importance of Colorectal Cancer Screenings

Colorectal cancer screening

The Importance of Colorectal Cancer Screenings

Colorectal Cancer can be an uncomfortable subject to discuss, but it is important nonetheless. When it its early stages, colorectal cancer is highly treatable. At this time, there are likely no symptoms, and no way of you knowing whether you have it or not. As the disease progresses, symptoms will start to appear, but by that point, the cancer will be much more difficult to kill, and the cancer may have already spread out of your colon. However, regular screening will allow your doctor to catch the cancer before it ever progresses that far.

Risk Factors

Risk factors are characteristics that can make a certain person more susceptible to colorectal cancer than others. People in general are more likely to develop this form of cancer if they are 50 years old, or older. You are also more likely to develop cancer if you suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Crohn’s Disease, or something similar. Those who participate in risky habits such as excessive smoking, drinking, or eating red meat will be more likely to suffer from the disease than those who don’t. If you have a close family member who developed cancer, that also puts you at a greater risk.

Before the colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is the most common type of screening for patients who may have colorectal cancer. In the days leading up to the procedure, your doctor will give you instructions for what to eat and how to clear yourself of waste. Basic instructions are to stop eating solid foods, drink only clear liquids, and avoid foods artificially colored red or purple. Your doctor will likely prescribe to you either a laxative tablet or solution to take during the evening before your procedure–however the special diet will begin earlier than that. If given the solution, you may want to have another drink near by as the flavor of the solution can be quite off-putting. This part of the process may be unpleasant, but it is essential to the overall procedure.

The colonoscopy

On the day of the colonoscopy, you will be given medicine to help your body’s relax. Many patients who have received colonoscopies report that they fell asleep for the process, and hardly remember it. After the medicine has kicked in, the doctor will take a long, thin tube called a colonoscope and insert it into your colon through your rectum. Attached to the colonoscope is a light and a camera. The camera feed will appear on a screen in order for the doctor to see if there are any ulcers, polyps, etc. Often, if a doctor sees any kind of growth in your colon, they will want to remove it immediately before it has the opportunity to become cancerous.

After the procedure

After your colonoscopy is over, you will be kept in the facility for an hour or two. You will need someone else to drive you home as the sedative you were given beforehand makes driving dangerous. Once home, it is advised that you drink copious amount of water to replace any liquids your body may have lost during colon prep.  Any information collected during your colonoscopy, such a tissue sample, may need to be sent in to a lab for further analysis. You should have the results of your colonoscopy anytime from two days after to a few weeks after the initial procedure, but this will depend on when is found and how busy the lab is.

A colorectal cancer screening could save your life. It is a normal procedure which almost everyone over the age of 50 will have done. If you have any questions, or need help finding a specialist, we at Surgical Specialist of Long Island, PC are here to help. Visit our website for more information.

Colorectal Cancer Screening

Colorectal Cancer Screening

 

“Screening saves lives.”

 

It is so much more than just a mantra repeated by posters and nonprofits – it is the literal truth.  And just in case you are one of the 6% of Americans affected by colon cancer, catching it early will make a world of difference not only by greatly improving your outcome of survival, but also by allowing yourself a fighting chance to circumvent the pain and loss of quality of life that comes with this unfortunate disease.

Defend yourself, defend your diet, your enjoyment of family meals, the normality of your visits to the toilet with these preventative measures of regular screening.

 

Undergoing professional screening is key, because colon cancer is one of those things that doesn’t really show symptoms until it is well developed in the body.  Symptoms include changes in bowel movements, blood in the stool, bloating, gas, weight loss, and fatigue.

What the various methods of screening for colorectal cancer have in common is that they are all methods of searching for things called “polyps.”  Polyps are small growths that can appear in the colon.  Some polyps, such as hyperplastic polyps are completely benign, while others have the potential to develop cancer.

 

Three Common Screening Methods:

The first and least invasive test is a “FOBT”, or a High-Sensitivity Fecal Occult Blood Test.  Patients will be given a kit to take home, as this is a stool test.  The sample will be returned to our office and checked for any faint traces of “heme”, which is a component of the blood protein hemoglobin.  If the stool tests positive for heme, then this is a good indicator that further testing is needed, as both polyps and colorectal cancers can bleed.  

 

The most well known method of screening is through a Colonoscopy.  This is an involved procedure in which the entire rectum is examined.  Any abnormal growths can also be removed with this procedure.  

Though the suggestions may vary from patient to patient, preparation for a colonoscopy always begins at least 24 hours before the procedure.  The general idea in preparing for a colonoscopy is to clean out your colon.  This will allow the doctor optimal ability to view, detect, and remove abnormalities.  A clear liquid diet of water, tea, and broth are standard the day before your procedure.  Laxatives are also helpful.  Most patients receive some form of sedation during the colonoscopy.  

 

The third most common screening method is a Sigmoidoscopy.  In this test, the doctor utilizes a flexible lighted tube with the tiniest of cameras for viewing and a tool for removing tissue.  The rectum up through the sigmoid colon are examined with this tiny lens.  A bit of air is pumped through the colon the expand it, allowing the doctor to see what she needs to see in order to address any possible issues.  The lower colon must be free of any stool before undergoing sigmoidoscopy, but overall, this is a less involved procedure than a colonoscopy.  Patients are not usually sedated for sigmoidoscopy.

 

After breast cancer, colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Though it can occur at any age, it is most common in patients over the age of 50.  Studies have shown that receiving colonoscopy reduces colorectal cancer-related deaths by about 60 – 70%.

With regular screening tests, including colonoscopies, this cancer can not only be detected, it can also be prevented.  

March is Colon Cancer Awareness month, so do yourself a favor: Stay one step ahead and schedule a screening today.

 

Call today for a free consultation, (631)257-5533.