Colon cancer is a silent killer. This disease claims the lives of more than 50,000 individuals per year and is curable if discovered early. Often, the symptoms bring the individual into the clinic too late, when options and survival rates are considerably lower. Risk factors listed by the College of Gastroenterology include men and women over 50; those with a family history of colon cancer; those who have had polyps removed in the past; and those with uterine, ovarian or breast cancers.
Fecal Occult Blood Test
The Journal of the American Medical Association defines this test as the process of the doctor taking a stool sample and examining it under a microscope. This process is simple, and relatively non-evasive and may even be completed in the privacy of an individual's home. A take-home kit that is returned to the doctor's office can offer a sense of privacy in the process. This presence of blood in the feces indicates a medical problem, such as cancer or inflammation. Should the doctor discover blood in the feces, she will generally order a colonoscopy to follow up.
Double-Contrast Barium Enema
With the double-contrast barium enema, the rectum is injected with a combination of barium sulfate--a chalky substance--and air, in order to view the outline and the inner portion of the colon. According to The American College of Gastroenterology, this test requires cleaning of the colon with laxatives and clear fluids for a period of days leading up to the procedure. However, the procedure is relatively simple and generally lasts from about 30 to 45 minutes.
Sigmoidoscopy
During a sigmoidoscopy, the doctor looks for polyps, which are small flaps of tissue, in the rectum and colon by inserting a flexible, lighted tube about the size of a finger. The American Cancer Society suggests that the patient undergoes the same process at home of cleansing the colon with laxatives and clear fluids. The test itself takes less than 20 minutes to complete, and patients are often sedated during the procedure.
Colonoscopy
The National Cancer Institute states that a colonoscopy is similar to a sigmoidoscopy, except it uses a longer tube with a camera attached. This scope is more technologically advanced and has the capability to remove polyps as they are discovered. The preparation and process are the same as for sigmoidoscopy, but this process may last up to 30 minutes.
Computerized Topographic and Magnetic Resonance Colonography
The American Cancer Society describes computerized tomographic colonography and the magnetic resonance colonography as significantly less invasive measures that use x-ray technology to scan the rectum and colon. This process uses a tube to insert air into the rectum for better viewing purposes, and then the individual is positioned on an imaging table in various ways as to get a full view of all possible areas.This test takes only about 10 minutes to complete. Sometimes, if necessary, the technician will ask a patient to swallow a radioactive solution, for better viewing.
References
- "The American College of Gastroenterology: Colorectal Cancer Screening"; Apr 2007
- "Journal of the American Medical Association: Colon Cancer Screening"; Mar 2006
- "National Cancer Institute: Colorectal Cancer Screening"; 2010
- "American Cancer Society: Can Colorectal Polyps and Cancer be Found Early?; Feb 2010
