A sigh. a decimal point. Nails on tires.On the surface, these all sound like small thing, But if they don’t pay attention, it can cause big problems.
Yes small thing Really important. This is especially true in our fight against colon cancer. Taking the time to prepare and complete a colonoscopy can sometimes feel like more trouble than it’s worth. This might feel like another little thing you can put off on your to-do list. However, colon cancer will affect approximately 1 in 24 people during their lifetime. It is also the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States, causing approximately 50,000 deaths in the United States each year.
But this is not a “gloom and doom” message – colon cancer is almost completely preventable! That’s right and preventable — because you’ll never get it.
This is where little things come in. Colon cancer almost always starts as tiny mushroom-shaped precancerous growths called “polyps.” In 5 to 10 years, these are 1mm-10mm smaller Nothing at all may evolve into something…cancer. Fortunately, these can be easily removed during colonoscopy. Colonoscopy is not only a cancer detection technique, but a cancer prevention technique!i think it is preventive maintenance rather than cancer screening. There are other simple steps you can take to prevent colon cancer, such as reducing alcohol consumption, eating less red meat, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Too many Americans are delaying colonoscopies and other preventive care during the pandemic.About 20% of U.S. adults surveyed about health care during pandemic coronavirus The pandemic says they or their family members have had delayed or no access to medical care because of the crisis. Learn From Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and National Public Radio. That’s in part because some hospitals and surgery centers have suspended elective surgeries to help manage large numbers of Covid-19 patients. Others, however, are simply insecure or overwhelmed.
As we go through Colon Cancer Awareness Month (March), I encourage everyone over the age of 45 to consider getting screened. Colon cancer screening can take many forms or strategies, including: colonoscopy, a CT scan-based procedure (called a virtual colonoscopy), testing for DNA commonly found in stool, or testing for blood in stool. Colonoscopy is considered the gold standard for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. It involves inserting a very small flexible tube called a colonoscope into the rectum and colon. The scope has many go-go-gadget-like tools built in, such as a camera, water gun, tweezers, and a small probe that stops any bleeding that might occur. This is a high-tech device used to identify and remove any polyps that are found before they have a chance of becoming cancer.
A virtual colonoscopy is an imaging technique that does not require any sedation, but still requires the insertion of a tube into the anus (inflating the colon) and, like a standard colonoscopy, must be done a day or so before ‘bowel preparation’ (causing diarrhea emptying the bowel). Any polyps found may need to be removed by standard colonoscopy (a second surgery). But for those who are not suitable for colonoscopy, it may be a valuable test.
DNA stool testing and fecal exchange transfusion have become well known due to recent marketing campaigns and patient demands for less invasive screening. These tests do not require any sedatives, internal tubes or bowel preparations. But they are not as accurate as colonoscopies. Fecal testing can find cancer at a fairly high rate, but it doesn’t always find precancerous polyps, small thing. So if this is the test being used, they are usually done more frequently than colonoscopies. Also, it’s not uncommon to get a positive test when no cancer or polyps are found. Therefore, have a conversation with your healthcare provider to determine the best screening and prevention strategies for you.Find more information about Colon Cancer Risk Factors, Prevention, and Diagnosisvisit the American Cancer Society’s website.
To our clinical providers: This is a good time to highlight another little thing to the patients you see this month: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently lowered the colorectal cancer screening age from 50 to 45. So, start these conversations early!
Photo: Natali_Mis, Getty Images
