How to Detect Colon Cancer

A huge part of the difference between the survival rates associated with colon cancer is early detection. Because there are no huge indicators or very troublesome symptoms when you develop the cancer it is largely up to the individual to be vigilant in going to a doctor to get regular screenings for the causes of cancer. When you suspect that cancer might be an issue, or if you want to regularly assess your risk for colon cancer, the following screening tests are the best available tests to detect colon cancer in a patient.Two of the most common test performed to check and confirm colon cancer are a colonoscopy or a lower GI series, which is an x-ray that will show the tumor or tumors. If you go to see a doctor for regular checkups, a colonoscopy should become a regular routine part of the physical once you have reached the age of fifty. Individuals over fifty years of age have a higher rate of colon cancer and regular tests are the best way to catch them before they are allowed to grow for too long. A second easy to perform test during regular checkups is a digital rectal exam, which any doctor can perform without special equipment in a few minutes. In the case of a double contrast barium enema, several x-rays of the colon and rectum are taken after barium is taken by the patient. While this type of testing is not the most exact, nor does it catch all the possible polyps that may line the colon, it is pretty reliable as a testing method for colon cancer.Another very telling way to detect colon cancer in patients is through the use of a Fecal Occult Blood Test which tests for blood that may be in stool. Bleeding is one of the symptoms that you may have colon cancer, but in the early stages any blood that may be present is highly undetectable to the naked eye. Two different tests basically do the same thing, detect any small trace amounts of blood. These tests can be performed on an annual or biannual basis for those individuals who are at a high risk of getting colon cancer.The other often used test to detect colon cancer is known as Sigmoidoscopy and it involves using a sigmoidoscope to screen for cancerous growths that are in the rectum and colon. Through regular screening with a sigmoidoscope it is possible to catch cancer tumors before they get to large and spread to other organs in the body.All of these different tests are not generally used at the same time, but if you have not had any indication of colon cancer in the past, the less invasive tests are used to screen before more drastic tests are tried. It is vital to undergo some sort of screening though once you reach the age of fifty so that you can catch any real issues before they become big problems.
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