DEAR MAYO CLINIC :
My husband turned 50 last week and is now concerned have a higher risk for colon cancer. How often should have a colonoscopy? RESPONSE
Dr. Mark Larson, Gastroenterology, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA:
Illustration inside the colon. Above, a colon cancer. Below, a polyp.
As people age, the risk for colon cancer also increases. For most people, it is best to begin regular screenings for colon cancer at age 50 and colonoscopy is one of the recommended methods of detection. The frequency that her husband will require a colonoscopy depends on the results of the first test.
colon cancer is common. According to the National Cancer Institute, are diagnosed each year more than 140,000 new cases of colorectal cancer in the United States and of those cases, about 93 percent are people over 50 years. In reality, age is one of the most important risk factors for colon cancer.
However, there are other risk factors. The family history of colon cancer, especially of a relative of first degree of consanguinity (parents or children) diagnosed with the disease, greatly enhances the risk. Suffering chronic inflammation of the colon for several years, as in the case of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, also increases the likelihood of developing colon cancer. Finally, the personal history of adenomatous polyps (a specific type of polyp in the colon) also increases the likelihood of a person to develop colon cancer.
Apart from these important risk factors, others may increase the risk for colon cancer and among them are smoking, drinking moderate to heavy drinking, obesity and sedentary lifestyle.
American Cancer Society recommends that people who, apart from age, have no other major risk factors for colon cancer screenings starting from the age of 50. The goal of screening is to find anomalies, such as pre-malignant polyps or colon cancer in early stage asymptomatic. As for the different tests, many health care providers advise their patients to have a colonoscopy, which involves introducing a long flexible tube (colonoscope) into the rectum and then advanced along the entire length of the colon. A tiny video camera attached to the tip of the colonoscope allows the physician to visualize the interior of the entire colon. There are also
other alternatives for colon cancer screening. One is the computed tomography colonography (CT), also known as virtual colonoscopy, which uses CT images to produce a detailed view inside the colon and rectum, dispensing with the need to introduce an endoscope through the colon. Alternative screening test is the fecal occult blood, which is a laboratory test that checks for the presence of blood in the stool samples.
The results of these tests determine the frequency needed for future detections. For example, in the event that no abnormality is found during colonoscopy, may not require further review follow-up until after 10 years, but in the presence of one or two adenomatous polyps, removing them would be best and a review of monitoring or surveillance in five years, and if multiple polyps are removed successfully achieved, the ideal would be to shorten the interval between follow-up care.
is very important that your husband start now with colon cancer detection, because although he rarely shows signs or symptoms in the early stages, when detected and treated early, it is usually curable. In addition, when screening finds polyps in the colon, removing them may reduce the risk of developing cancer.
Everyone, especially people 50 years or more, should monitor any possible symptom of colon cancer. Do not ignore abdominal pain or cramps, or any change in bowel habits or blood in the stool, and see a doctor if any of these symptoms.
Source: Mayo Clinic
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