What are the benefits of colorectal cancer screening?
Screening increases the odds that colorectal cancers will be found at a localized stage, when the 5-year survival rate is 90%. Furthermore, screening can identify polyps, which if removed can prevent colorectal cancer from developing. If all adults 50 and older were screened for colon cancer, we could cut the death rate from this disease in half – saving approximately 30,000 lives per year . What is the best way to screen for colorectal cancer? A colonoscopy is the most effective screening method for colorectal cancer. The test allows physicians to look directly at the entire colon and identify precancerous growths (polyps) which they can immediately remove. This is the only test where physicians can remove polyps without surgery or another procedure. In addition, colonoscopies are painless as patients are sedated. Who should perform colonoscopies? Choose a board-certified gastroenterologist or surgeon with extensive experience performing colonoscopies. A gastroenterologist specializes
