Why is regular screening for colon cancer important?
A very simple test to screen for colon cancer is to collect faeces, to collect a patient’s stool in small amounts, for about three consecutive days. We then do a test for microscopic amounts of blood. If you’re picking up small amounts of blood, something is happening somewhere along the intestinal tract. In that patient, they would certainly need to consider having a colonoscopy, at which point in time, if they’re found to have a polyp, it will be dealt with there and then. Obviously, one needs to consider bleeding from higher up in the gastrointestinal tract, such as small stomach ulcers or little erosions from having taken some aspirin, etc. However, with regard to colon cancer, we certainly feel that it’s worth doing these types of screening tests on a regular basis, certainly from the age of 50, but sometimes, and particularly if there is a family history, from far before that age – 30 or 35.
