Early Colon Cancer Screening Can Save Your Life

More than 150,000 Americans develop colorectal cancer each year, making it the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States.

The good news is that colorectal cancer is preventable, detectable, and treatable if detected early.

According to the American Cancer Society, nine out of ten early treatments save lives, and the 5-year survival rate for colon cancer when detected early is 90%. This is why Intermountain Healthcare clinicians remind people of the importance of regular screening to detect cancer at the earliest and most treatable stages.

“Early screening, especially by colonoscopy, has the potential to save lives,” said Mark A. Lewis, MD, an oncology physician at Intermountain Healthcare and head of gastrointestinal oncology. “Many colorectal cancers start as small polyps. If polyps are found during colonoscopy, they can be removed and prevent the polyps from becoming cancer. Therefore, colonoscopy Testing can serve as both a screening and prevention tool. ”

Screening for colon cancer should begin at age 50 for most people, but understanding family history, genetics, and other risk factors can also help patients and physicians personalize care and screen early. Helps determine when to do it.

In the early stages of colorectal cancer, there may be no symptoms. This is another reason why it is important to know the risk factors associated with colorectal cancer and talk to your doctor about the right time to be screened.

Risk factor:

• Family history – If you have relatives with colon cancer or colon polyps, you may be at increased risk of developing the disease.
• age – About 90% of the time, colorectal cancer occurs in adults over the age of 45. However, the incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing in people in their 40s. “One in seven patients in my oncology practice dealing with colon cancer is under the age of fifty, when screening traditionally begins,” said Dr. Lewis. “Young people with abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding should see a doctor and be screened.”
• Ethnicity – The incidence of colorectal cancer is higher in African Americans than in other races. This may be due to the small number of African Americans screened for colon cancer.
• Medical condition – With inflammatory bowel disease, you may be at increased risk of developing colon cancer.
• Lifestyle – There are several risk factors that can be changed. These include quitting smoking, improving your diet, being active, and maintaining a healthy weight.

“Cancer doesn’t care who you are,” said Dr. Lewis. “Cancer was once thought to be an aging disease. It’s not. Cancer doesn’t respect age, gender, race, or beliefs.”

Colon cancer screening

Previously, one of the only methods of screening was colonoscopy. It uses a camera system inserted into the colon to look for possible problems. New advances allow people to screen more frequently at home using the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) kit.

“Cancer doesn’t care who you are,” said Dr. Lewis. “Cancer was once thought to be an aging disease. It’s not. Cancer doesn’t respect age, gender, race, or beliefs.”

Dr. Sterling Bennett, Medical Director of Central Lab at Intermountain Healthcare, said the test does not replace colonoscopy, but because it regularly monitors people with a low to moderate risk of colorectal cancer. It states that it may serve as an important tool for.

“With FIT, people may be able to monitor their health once a year and detect problems early.”

Dr. Bennett said. “This test gives the patient peace of mind about something that may not be detected.”

The test works by the patient taking a small sample of the stool using the kit, putting it in a tube and returning it to the central laboratory. Technicians then use antibodies to look for traces of blood that are invisible to the human eye. If the test is positive, it may be an early sign of a larger problem such as colon cancer. Your doctor will follow up on the additional screening needed to find the problem.

If the patient’s test is positive, the use of the FIT kit is not recommended and doctors say colonoscopy is the best preventive measure in the future. Depending on your doctor’s recommendations, you may need to do it more often.

You can receive the FIT kit by ordering it from your doctor. We recommend that you consult your doctor to develop a screening plan that suits you.

For more information on colonoscopy, FIT kit details, or doctor search Here..

This story contains sponsored content.