Colorectal Cancer Screening

Pros & Cons for Having a Colonoscopy

During a colonoscopy, the rectum and entire colon of patients are examined using a colonoscope, which is thin, tube-like instrument with a small camera. A colonoscope is inserted into the colon through the anus. This facilitates visual diagnosis...

The Hidden Dangers of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is one of the most deadly types of cancer, due primarily to the lack of obvious symptoms before the advanced stages. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's most recent statistics in 2006 indicate that screenings for colon...

Foods That Protect You From Colon Cancer

The large intestine includes the colon and the rectum. The major function of the large intestine is to reabsorb water so that the body can rid itself of solid waste. Colorectal cancer occurs when malignant cells infiltrate the inner lining of the...

What Are the Benefits of a Virtual Colonoscopy?

Colon cancer is the third-most common cancer diagnosed in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is the second-most common cause of cancer-related deaths among cancers that affect men and women. The CDC also...

What are the Recommendations for Colonoscopy Screenings?

The goal of colonoscopy screenings is to detect colorectal cancer and reduce its incidence and mortality. Colonoscopy, an invasive procedure, examines the rectum and the entire colon, looking for precancerous and cancerous growths. In 2009, the...

Colonoscopy Risks to the Elderly

About 20 percent of routine colonoscopy patients in the United States are 65 years and older, according to New York gastroenterologists Lawrence B. Cohen and Christina Tennyson. However, many older individuals are insufficiently devoid of feces...

Colonoscopy Risks

A colonoscopy is a procedure used to detect inflamed tissue, ulcers, polyps and abnormal growths, such as malignant tumors in the colon and rectum. Colonoscopy is generally recommended as the primary screening method for colon cancer. During a...

Colonoscopy & Its Side Effects

A colonoscopy is a test that enables a physician to examine the lower part of the digestive system, particularly the colon and rectum, to determine the existence of any abnormalities, including inflamed tissue, polyps, ulcers, bleeding, muscle...

Dangers in Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is a procedure to look inside the colon or rectum for a mass in patients with rectal cancer. In this test, doctors use a flexible, lighted instrument with a tiny built-in camera called a colonoscope to inspect the rectum or lower...

What Are the Benefits of Annual Physicals?

The Encyclopedia of Surgery defines a physical as an examination designed to determine your current state of health. In most cases, an average annual physical includes obtaining general information in the form of a patient history, followed by a...

Colon Cancer Late Warning Signs

Nearly 150,000 new cases of colorectal (colon and rectal) cancer are discovered each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Of those, 50,000 people will die of the disease. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists...

About Colonoscopies

The colon, also known as the large intestine, is responsible for the absorption of water and some nutrients as well as the compaction of feces. Sometimes the inside of the large intestine may need to be visualized, whether it's to look for early...

Colorectal Cancer Tests

Colon cancer is cancer that originates in the large intestine, or the colon; and rectal starts in the end of the large intestine. The term colorectal cancer can describe either of these conditions. Colorectal cancer typically does not cause any...

What is Colorectal Cancer?

Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that affects the digestive tract. Because early detection offers the best hope of curing this cancer, understanding its risk factors and symptoms can help save lives. People in high-risk groups should make...

Information on Men's Health Physicals

Men should have regular physical exams even if they are healthy. Conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure often do not produce symptoms until advanced stages. Visiting your doctor regularly also helps maintain a relationship in...

Diet Restrictions Prior to a Colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is an exam to detect abnormalities within the colon and rectum and possible causes of rectal bleeding, chronic diarrhea or constipation, or other intestinal issues. A colonoscopy is considered the "gold standard" for screening colon...

Low Fiber Foods to Eat Before a Colonoscopy

Although colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in the United States, it is one of the few cancers that doctors can prevent. There is a significant survival rate in people who are diagnosed at an early stage. A...

What Are the Different Types of Colon Polyps?

Polyps are abnormal growths of the mucus membranes and can occur anywhere in the body. Colon polyps grow on the mucus membranes (lining) of the large intestine. They are caused by heredity (inherited or familiar disorder), abnormal cell growth, or...

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Colon Cancer Risk

Also known as colorectal cancer, colon cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although colon cancer is often hereditary, it can be prevented. For example,...

5 Ways to Prevent Colon Cancer

Before you hit the big 5-0, it's time to think colon cancer prevention. The risk for this disease increases with age and is more common in those over 50. Younger people should go ahead and look into their family health history and review their...

Diet for the Hemoccult Test

A hemoccult test or fecal occult blood test might be indicated if you notice a change in your stool color or blood in your stool. The test detects abnormal gastrointestinal bleeding and can aid in the early diagnosis of colon cancer. But the exact...

Post Gallbladder Removal Symptoms

Cholecystectomy, most often done under laparoscopic technique, is a common surgical treatment to eliminate symptomatic gallstones by removing the gallbladder. The gallbladder stores bile produced in the liver and releases it into the intestines as...

What Are Two Ways to Keep Your Large Intestine Healthy?

The large intestine is the portion of your gastrointestinal tract that includes your appendix, cecum, colon, rectum and anus. The large intestine is approximately 5 feet long, and it primarily functions to reabsorb water and maintain fluid balance...

What Can I Eat 2 Days Before a Colonoscopy?

While a good colonoscopy prep rarely tops people's lists of fun things to do, it's an essential part of having a colonoscopy. During a colonoscopy, your doctor inserts a lighted scope into the rectum and advances it through the large and small...

What Kind of Foods Can I Eat Before Having a Colonoscopy?

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. A colonoscopy is a type of effective colorectal cancer screening test where the large intestine is 'scoped' for...

Symptoms of Digestive Cancers

While most stomach aches and pains are related to last night's dinner, digestive cancers can cause similar symptoms. Digestive cancers include cancer of any part of the gastrointestinal tract, including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small...

What Are the Causes of Too Much Weight Loss?

Losing too much weight can be as unhealthy as being overweight. Sudden or unintentional weight loss is often a symptom of a serious medical or psychiatric illness. Talk to your doctor if you have lost weight without trying, as excessive weight...

Foods Before & After a Colonoscopy

Colorectal cancer, or cancer of the large intestines, causes the second highest number of deaths from cancer, second only to lung cancer, in the United States, according to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital system. However, it is also one of the few...

Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is a term used to identify cancer of the large intestine. The cancer can occur in the colon, which is the longest section of the large intestine, or it can affect the last several inches of the large intestine, resulting in...

Colorectal Cancer Health Video (Video)

Colorectal cancer refers to cancerous growths in the colon and rectum, which are the third most common cancers in the Western world. Learn more about colorectal cancer, including symptoms and treatments, in this health video.

Colorectal Cancer in Children Health Video (Video)

Colorectal cancer refers to cancerous growths in the colon and rectum, which are the third most common cancers in the Western world. Learn more about colorectal cancer in children including treatments and symptoms in this medical video.