Just do it … yourself: At-home colorectal cancer screening

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Yet despite the ability of CRC screening to detect colon cancer early, and to find and remove potentially precancerous growths called polyps, screening rates remain low, below 60%. Experts generally agree that people should be screened for CRC at regular intervals beginning by age 50. Colonoscopy is considered the gold standard for CRC screening. In this procedure, a doctor examines your entire colon through a colonoscope, a flexible tube outfitted with a small video camera and a light. But concern around pre-colonoscopy bowel cleaning, which can be uncomfortable and unpleasant, may contribute to low screening rates. Your bowel needs to be completely empty during colonoscopy to give your doctor a clear view of your intestinal wall; preparing for the test involves drinking a liquid that triggers bowel-clearing diarrhea. CRC screening tests: Other options So, while colonoscopy remains the gold standard, the best test is the one that gets done or gets the process started. A recent meta-analysis found that fecal blood tests, which are available by prescription and can be done at home, are associated with increased screening rates. (Patients still need a colonoscopy if there is an abnormal result, to diagnose cancer or remove polyps to prevent cancer.) In 2016, the United States Preventive Services Task Force updated its CRC screening recommendations to state that patients and physicians can choose among avail...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Cancer Screening Tests and procedures Source Type: blogs