CURRENT CAMPAIGN – COLON CANCER PREVENTION

Colon cancer screening

Often, colon cancer can be prevented by regular tests that can detect polyps before they become cancerous. Discuss with your doctor when to have tests given your age and family burden. People at average risk for the disease should begin screening at age 50. Colorectal cancer usually does not give symptoms until the disease is already at a more advanced stage, so it is important to discuss with your doctor the positives and negatives of any screening test and how often it should be done.

People who have any of these risk factors for colorectal cancer should start screening earlier and/or have these tests more often:

• Medical history with colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps

• Family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, such as cancer or polyps in first-degree relatives younger than 60 years or in 2nd-degree relatives regardless of age. A first-line relative is defined as parents, brother/sister or child.
• Medical history for inflammatory bowel disease

Family burden with hereditary syndromes,

Screening tests for colon cancer are:

Colonoscopy. Colonoscopy allows the doctor to examine the entire rectum and colon from the inside while the patient is under anesthesia. A flexible lighted tube called a colonoscope is inserted into the rectum and passed over the entire colon to look for polyps or cancerous growths. During this procedure, the doctor may remove polyps or other tissue to be examined in a laboratory (see “Biopsy” in the Diagnosis section. Removing polyps can prevent cancer from forming.

Computed tomography or colonography. Colonography, which is sometimes called virtual colonoscopy, is a screening method that can be an alternative for people who have contraindications to having a standard colonoscopy, for example because of anaesthesia

Fecal occult bleeding test and fecal immunochemical test. The fecal occult bleeding test is used to detect blood in the feces, which can be a sign of the presence of polyps or a tumor. If the test is positive, i.e. there is blood in the faeces, the cause may be different from polyps and cancer. Blood in faeces may be due from bleeding stomach or upper digestive tract etc.

Fecal DNA test. This test analyzes DNA material from a fecal sample to detect cancer. The test detects DNA material contained in polyps and cancerous growths to determine if a colonoscopy is needed.