Why is screening for colorectal cancer important?
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), over 145, 000 Americans may develop colorectal cancer in 2005. With over an estimated 52,000 deaths, this makes colorectal cancer the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Fortunately, screening can help to find the polyp or growth, many times before it becomes cancerous. If screened at recommended times, colorectal cancer can be found early, when chances of being cured are much better. How do you screen for colorectal cancer? There are a number of tests that screen for colorectal cancer. They can be used alone or combined, such as a Fecal Occult Blood Test and a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy. Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT): This is a test you do at home. Your doctor will give you the kit and you will place a small amount of your stool on special cards. They will be returned to either your doctor or a lab. The stool will then be checked for small amounts of blood, which can be a sign
According to the Cancer Research Foundation of America, as many as 30 to 40 percent of the population over age 50 has pre-cancerous adenomatous polyps. Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon (the large bowel or large intestine) and/or the rectum.Most cases of colorectal cancer begin as non-cancerous polyps that grow on the wall of the colon or rectum. For reasons that are not fully understood, these polyps become cancerous. Colorectal cancer affects men and women in equal numbers. While risk factors are important predictors, 75 percent of all new cases of colorectal cancer occur in individuals with no known risk factors other than age.
Colorectal cancer screening saves lives in two ways: • By finding and removing precancerous polyps before they become cancerous • By detecting the cancer early when it is most treatable All men and women over the age of 50 should be routinely screened for colorectal cancer. People with a high risk for CRC and those with family history should talk with their doctors about being screened at an earlier age. TOP What are the screening tests for colorectal cancer? Experts are not in total agreement on which screening tests should be used or how often adults without known risk factors for colorectal cancer should be screened. However, all professional guidelines emphasize the importance of a regular screening program that includes annual fecal occult blood tests (FOBT), periodic partial or full colon exams, or both. Leaders in the field have estimated that, with widespread adoption of these screening practices, as many as 30,000 lives could be saved each year. That’s over 50% of the colorect
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer killer of Americans, after lung cancer. Each year, there are approximately 140,000 new cases in the United States, and the disease causes about 56,000 deaths. It is the only major malignancy that afflicts men and women almost equally. Tragically, this cancer that causes so much pain, suffering, loss of life, and expenditure of medical resources is highly curable and even preventable if it detected early through screening. When colorectal cancer is diagnosed, the likelihood of long-term survival depends mainly on the anatomic stage of the disease found at surgery. Before symptoms develop, most cancers are still localized to the bowel (Dukes’ stage A or B) and five-year survival exceeds 80%. By the time symptoms occur, however, most colorectal cancers have spread outside the bowel to lymph nodes (Dukes’ stage C) or beyond, and the chance of survival decreases by more than half. A primary objective of screening, therefore, is to detect th
Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer and the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Screening means checking for health problems before they cause symptoms. Colorectal cancer screening is used to detect cancer, precancerous polyps, or other abnormal conditions. If screening detects an abnormality, diagnosis and treatment can occur promptly. As many as 60 percent of deaths from colorectal cancer could be prevented if everyone age 50 and older were screened regularly. Some racial/ethnic groups experience higher rates of colorectal cancer than other groups so it is important for everyone to be screened. For example, African American males and females have the highest incidence and mortality rates among other racial/ethnic groups. When should I get screened for colorectal cancer? Everyone over age 50 should talk with their healthcare provider about checking for colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is more likely to occur, as people get older. More than 90 perce
