What are the options available for Colon Cancer screening?
Current medical guidelines often lag several years behind medical research. As of January 2008, there are four officially recommended methods for Colon Cancer screening: • Fecal occult blood test (FOBT): a test to detect the presence of blood in the stool • Flexible Sigmoidoscopy (Flex Sig): a scope test looking at the first 24 in. of the colon only • Double-contrast barium enema: (DCBE): An x-ray test looking at a barium-filled colon • Traditional (optical) Colonoscopy (OC): a scope test looking at the entire length (60-70 in.)of the bowel While all four of these tests are “recommended” by the major medical guidelines, only traditional colonoscopy is highly sensitive for detecting polyps and cancers (approximately 90% sensitive). The other recommended tests are significantly less sensitive (50-60% sensitive–meaning it might miss as many as half of the polyps and cancers that might be present in the colon). Therefore most physicians currently recommend traditional colonoscopy for scre
