Top Colon Cancer Tests
The fact that colon cancer is now the second largest killer in America should
be of great concern and should be reason enough for people to undergo a colon
cancer test. In the last few years, the risk has greatly increased for adults
50 years old and above. But the good thing is, with early screening and colon
cancer tests, this sickness may be prevented. The tests will also help increase
the rate by which colon cancer patients are cured.
But what types of tests must one undergo in order to treat colon cancer? There
are several procedures and color cancer tests and anyone can choose which procedure
works best for them:
- Fecal Occult Blood Testing, or FOBT for short, is perhaps the simplest
colon cancer test procedure. It helps determine symptoms of colon cancer through
a patient’s stool sample. But before this test is rendered, a patient
will be given a certain diet and medication, which must be strictly followed,
to get a better diagnosis. FOBT may be done annually. It is a process by which
medical personnel screens cancer bleeds or polyps from your samples.
- Sigmoidoscopy screens for cancer bleeds or polyps. But with this procedure,
a tube with a tiny camera will be inserted to the rectum of the patient for
colon examination. It may prove to be uncomfortable to the patient, but it
provides a clearer diagnosis. Doctors do this to look at the lining of your
colon and if abnormal growths appear, a biopsy will be recommended for further
analysis. This procedure takes about fifteen minutes or less. However, it
is possible for the tube to not be able to reach other parts of your colon,
and the screening may miss some crucial diagnosis. Sigmoidoscopy may be done
every three to five years.
- Colonoscopy is a very meticulous test for colon cancer. Preparation for
this is methodical and thorough. The patient also has to do much preparation
such as being subjected to a strict diet of water and laxative a day before
the test is done. Sedation and intravenous medication may also be administered
as the procedure may provide discomfort. In addition to this, colonoscopy
is risky in that some tear or perforation may happen, which can be repaired
through surgery. If a person is already belongs to the high risk group, colonoscopy
is most recommended. Colonoscopy may be done every ten years.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is done in the laboratory. Tissue from a patient’s
body is examined under a microscope. This procedure is used for all types
of cancer, in order to know how far the disease has spread and what type of
cancer cells have affected the patient’s body. Biopsy is commonly used
to diagnose how far the cancer has spread.
An experimental test for colon cancer is currently being developed and may
be one that could provide the same thoroughness in diagnosis as colonoscopy,
minus the discomfort. If tests to be conducted within three years are found
to be very effective, this may replace the other uncomfortable procedure altogether.
This new test only requires stool samples from patients which will be examined
using new technology.
Colon Cancer
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