People with an increased risk of colorectal cancer should talk to their doctor about when to begin screening, which test is right for them, and how often to get screened. Several screening tests can be used to find polyps or colorectal cancer. Your doctor will help you decide which is right for you based on your individual needs. Below, we discuss five colon cancer screening tests you should know about.
Are you at risk for colon cancer? Even if your risk factors are not hereditary, it's important to be aware of what risk factors can affect your chances. The risk of developing this disease is higher for people who have risk factors such as age, gender, and other health concerns. There are also risk factors that we can control like diet, exercise habits, smoking. Let's take a closer look at the risk factors for colon cancer.
Few routine procedures are avoided like colonoscopies; this is unfortunate because colonoscopies are the only way to detect colorectal cancer in its early stages. Let’s take a look at some of our most frequently asked questions about colonoscopies here at the Colorectal Clinic of Tampa Bay.
Colon cancer and anal cancer might sound, at first, like they are nearly identical; however, these diseases have totally different causes, presentation, and symptoms. Simply put, anal cancer and colon cancer are as different as skin cancer and cervical cancer. In fact, the anus is structurally different tissue than that of the colon; this is only where the distinctions begin.
The end of March is drawing near— and with it comes the end of Colon Cancer Awareness Month. However, we shouldn’t forget about colorectal cancer as we enter into April. Many patients think that they don’t need to be screened because they don’t have colon cancer symptoms; as we’ve discussed in a previous post, this simply isn’t the case. Everyone over the age of 40 should be screened regularly, and it doesn’t always have to be with a colonoscopy!
