Home Screening for Colorectal Cancer: What You Need to Know

If you are postponed Colon cancer screening Being nervous about having a colonoscopy, there are less invasive options that are worth considering. It is a stool test at home.

The only real drawback of the two most popular stool tests is Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) According to experts, stool DNA testing (Cologuard) should be done more often than colonoscopy. And OK, some people can also be postponed due to the bad factor of getting it closer to their stool.

For those without symptoms or family history Colon cancerIn 2020, the US Preventive Medicine Committee recommended that screening begin at the age of 45. For people who have no other risk factors during colonoscopy and no signs of cancer, screening for colonoscopy should only be done once every 10 years. The home option should be run more often. FIT is an annual test and Cologuard should be run once every three years.

Dr. Otis Broley, a professor of oncology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Medical College and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School, said: Of public health in Baltimore. “But people need to understand that if the test is positive, you need to have a colonoscopy.”

This test analyzes stool for signs of blood that may indicate the presence of cancerous lesions or polyps. According to the American Cancer Society, there are no medication or dietary restrictions to take before either test. Your healthcare professional will provide you with the supplies you need and detailed instructions to follow.

If a person tests positive for stool, a follow-up colonoscopy should be done to find and remove cancerous and precancerous lesions.

The advantage of stool testing is that there is the best scientific evidence to reduce cancer deaths, Broley said. “They are gold standards,” he added. The American Cancer Society points out that they can miss many polyps and some cancers, but some tests can lead to false-positive results. Therefore, we recommend that you perform the FIT test every year. It is expected that cancer will not be overlooked in the coming years. False positives are only a problem in that a colonoscopy is needed to determine if a person has cancer.

The stool test has no real risk of harm to the body. This is compared to colonoscopy. Colon endoscopy carries a rare but real risk, such as intestinal damage. Broley said the Medicare population, with good national data, has been shown to have a nicked bowel in every 600 colonoscopies. “But most of them need nothing but go home for a few days, rarely four or five days or more with a restricted diet.”

However, from time to time, Nick is so severe that the contents of the intestines leak into the abdomen, which can cause a serious infection called peritonitis.

Another drawback for some people is the preparation of the intestines, which requires cleaning everything from the colon and rectum before colonoscopy so that the doctor can clearly see the lesion. .. Quieting is also usually required, which can cause someone to miss a day’s work. Colon endoscopy can usually see the entire colon, but it can still miss small polyps.

About one-third of Americans recommended for regular screening for colon cancer Not taking the recommended test — Some of them may be more likely to be tested if screening is easier and more convenient at home.

A 2021 study found that screening rates jumped by more than 1,000 percent when researchers took home tests on delinquent patients.

The results during the pandemic may have been even better, as Dr. Sivan Meta, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine Perelman, who co-authored the study, hesitated to come to the medical center for colonoscopy. He said he couldn’t. Chief Innovation Officer, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

“FIT testing has been done for a very long time,” Mehta said. “It’s a lot easier than colonoscopy. But to get the same effect as colonoscopy, you have to do it every year. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, the best A test is a test that someone completes. “

The FIT test looks for human hemoglobin in the stool, Broley explained. Hemoglobin is a marker of bloody stools that may be a symptom of colon cancer. Therefore, if the FIT or stool DNA test is positive, colonoscopy is required.

Broley said there is yet another option for people who want to avoid colonoscopy but want to have a screening test that is needed only once every 10 years. He explained that this is a virtual colonoscopy performed with a CT scanner.