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Tests and Screenings for Men
Get Ready. Get Set. Get Screened!It’s a fact: Regular testing helps prevent colon cancer deaths
Center For Excellence
Colon & Rectal Surgery @ LVH Some 135,000 cases of colon cancer are diagnosed annually, and this is “one disease where screening truly makes a difference,” says colon rectal surgeon Robert Riether, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Here’s what you need to know about getting a screening: First steps firstEarly detection starts with your family doctor, who can perform two of the three most common screenings in his or her office. They are:Fecal occult blood test—Used to detect minute traces of blood in your stool, this test is something you need every year if you’re age 50 or over (younger if a close family member once had colon cancer). A positive result might mean you have colon cancer, but could indicate other abnormalities. “Blood in the stool can have a variety of causes, most commonly hemorrhoids,” says family practice physician Sam Bub, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “A positive test result alerts us to look further.” Flexible sigmoidoscopy—Using a short, flexible, lighted tube, your primary physician can examine the lower portion of your large intestine for polyps that might be cancerous. This test should be con- ducted once every five years if you’re age 50 or over. If the result of either of these two tests raises a concern, your next step is a colonoscopy. The importance of colonoscopyWhile the fecal occult blood test and sigmoidoscopy do a good job of detecting colon cancer, no test is as thorough as a colonoscopy. It’s the recommended test for those with symptoms, a history of polyps or a family history of colon cancer. Those with no symptoms should have a colonoscopy every 10 years beginning at age 50. “Colonoscopy is the gold standard,” Riether says. “It examines the entire length of the large intestine, and can be used to diagnose and treat polyps (the precursor to cancer) and some early cancers.”Colonoscopies are performed by a colon rectal surgeon or gastroenterologist. The equipment is similar to a flexible sigmoidoscopy, but the patient usually is sedated. A colonoscopy includes some advance preparation—and many people used to think that was the worst part of the process. But new advances are making it easier to handle. Instead of consuming a gallon of liquid prescription laxative, you can now take the laxative in pill form. (Typically you take 32 pills, some the night before and some the morning of the procedure.) The pills are easier to swallow than the liquid, and allow you to continue drinking water or ginger ale until the procedure. “You still can choose either option, but the pills are becoming very pop-ular,” Riether says. While you’re certain to have some nervousness before a colonoscopy, the test is safe, effective and, according to some who recently had it, not as bad as you might think. See their remarks here. On the horizon: a new testResearchers currently are studying a new colon cancer screening that detects DNA shed by cancerous polyps. Encouraging early research shows that this stool- sample DNA test is safe, effective and reliable. It will likely be another three to five years before it’s available to the general public.Meanwhile, follow the testing guidelines above. “Good things are on the horizon,” Riether says, “but the best thing you can do for yourself right now is to get screened.” This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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