Prevention of colon cancer is the most effective early detection and removal of colon
polyps are not cancerous before they turn cancerous. Even in cases where the
cancer has progressed, early detection still significantly improves the chances
of a cure by surgically removing the cancer before the disease spreads to other
organs. A variety of world health organizations have recommended screening
guidelines in general.
Examination Rectum With Finger And The Hidden Blood Test stool
It is recommended that all individuals older than 40 years have rectal
examinations every year with a finger and fecesnya checked for occult blood.
During examination of the rectum, the doctor inserts a gloved finger into the
rectum to feel for abnormal growths. Examples of stool can be obtained to check
for hidden blood (occult blood). Prostate gland can be examined at the same
time.
An important screening test for colorectal cancers and polyps is the stool occult blood test. Tumors of the colon and rectum tend to bleed slowly into the stool. Small amounts of blood mixed into the stool is usually not visible to the naked eye. Occult blood tests are commonly used stool rests on the changes (conversion) to detect chemical color amounts microscopic (very small) of blood. These tests are both convenient and inexpensive. A small amount of stool sample is smeared on a special card for occult blood testing. Typically, three stool cards are collected sequentially. -A person who tests positive test for occult blood in stool have a probability of 30% to 45% had a colon polyp and a probability of 3% to 5% had a colon cancer. Colon cancers found under these circumstances tend to be early (premature) and have a long-term prognosis is better.
It is important to remember that having stool tested positive for occult blood does not necessarily mean the person has colon cancer. Many other conditions can cause occult blood in the stool. However, patients with a positive stool occult blood should run further evaluations involving barium enema x-rays, colonoscopies and other tests to exclude / exclude colon cancer, and to explain the source of bleeding. It is also important to realize that stool which has tested negative for occult blood does not mean the absence of polyps and colorectal cancer. Even under the test conditions are ideal, most tiny fraction of 20% of colon cancers can be missed by sceening stool occult blood. Many patients with colon polyps are tested negative for fecal occult blood. In patients suspected of having colon tumors, and in those with high risk factors for developing colorectal polyps and colorectal cancer, flexible sigmoidoscopies or screening colonoscopies are performed even if the tests of stool occult blood is the negative.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy
Starting at age 50, a test, flexible sigmoidoscopy screening test recommended
every three to five years. Flexible sigmoidoscopy is an examination of the
rectum and lower colon using a viewing tube (a short version of colonoscopy).
Recent studies have shown that the use of flexible sigmoidoscopy screening can
reduce mortality from colon cancer.
This is the result of the detection of polyps or early cancers in people
without symptoms. If a polyp or cancer is found, a colonoscopy is recommended.
Most of colon polyps can be completely removed by colonoscopy without open
surgery. Recently doctors are recommending screening colonoscopies instead of
screening flexible sigmoidoscopies for healthy individuals starting at ages
50-55 years.
Patients with a high risk of developing colorectal cancer may undergo colonoscopies starting at ages younger than 50 years. For example, patients with a family history of colon cancer is recommended to start screening colonoscopies in an age of 10 years before the earliest colon cancer diagnosed in a first-degree relatives, or five years earlier than colon polyps before cancer is the most earlier found in a single-degree relative. Patients with cancer syndromes such as hereditary colon FAP, AFAP, HNPCC, and MYH colonoscopies are recommended to start early. Recommendations differ depending on the genetic damage, for example in FAP; colonoscopies can begin at any age-teens to seek the development of colon polyps. Patients with a previous history of polyps or colon cancer may also perform colonoscopies to exclude recurrence. Patients with a long history (greater than 10 years) of ulcerative colitis are chronic (chronic ulcerative colitis) had an increase in colon cancer, and should have regular colonoscopies to look for precancerous changes of cancer (precancerous changes ) in the lining of the colon.
Consultation And Genetic Testing
Blood tests are now available for check-syndrome hereditary colon cancer syndrome FAP, AFAP, MYH,
and HNPCC. Families with multiple members who have cancer, colon cancer, the
members with a variety of colon polyps, the members who have cancers at young
ages, and have other cancers such as cancer- ureters, womb (uterus), duodenum
(intestine two finger-defense), and others must be referred to the possibility
of genetic counseling diikuiti by genetic tests. Genetic tests without prior
konsulatasi not recommended because of the extensive family education involved
and the complex nature of interpreting the test results.
The benefits of genetic counseling followed by genetic tests include: (1) to identify family members at high risk of developing colon cancer colonoscopies to start early, (2) identify high-risk members so that screening can begin to prevent other cancers such as ultrasound tests for uterine cancer, urine tests for cancer of the ureter, and upper endoscopies for cancer of the stomach and duodenum, and (3) reduces the concern for the members of the test negative for damage-kerusakn genetic heritage.
