Colorectal Screening

Col­orec­tal can­cer screen­ings are a safe and proven way to detect col­orec­tal can­cer or colon-relat­ed con­di­tions in your body ear­ly when they are the most treat­able. That’s why it’s impor­tant to have reg­u­lar col­orec­tal can­cer screen­ings, even if you don’t have symptoms.

Col­orec­tal can­cer is one of the most pre­ventable types of can­cer. Your risk for col­orec­tal can­cer increas­es as you age. A vari­ety of screen­ing tests are rec­om­mend­ed for dif­fer­ent rea­sons, but all of them high­ly reduce your chances of devel­op­ing a more ser­i­ous-staged cancer.

You and your provider can work togeth­er to keep you healthy by:

  • Com­plet­ing reg­u­lar screenings.
  • Lim­it­ing alco­hol and tobac­co use.
  • Eat­ing healthy: less fat­ty foods and more pro­teins, fruits, and vegetables.
  • Exer­cis­ing through­out the week…even if it’s tak­ing a fast walk!
  • Main­tain­ing a healthy weight. Dis­cuss your ide­al weight with your doctor.

What is col­orec­tal can­cer screening?

  • Screen­ing is look­ing for can­cer before a per­son has any symp­toms. This can help find can­cer at an ear­ly stage. When abnor­mal tis­sue or can­cer is found ear­ly, it may be eas­i­er to treat. By the time symp­toms appear, can­cer may have begun to spread. 
  • It is impor­tant to remem­ber that your doc­tor does not nec­es­sar­i­ly think you have can­cer if he or she sug­gests a screen­ing test. Screen­ing tests are giv­en when you have no can­cer symp­toms. Screen­ing tests may be repeat­ed on a reg­u­lar basis.

What are the types of col­orec­tal can­cer screenings? 

Colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the gold stan­dard of find­ing and detect­ing col­orec­tal can­cer. This pro­ce­dure is safe and effec­tive. It allows your doc­tor to look for and remove growths that could devel­op into can­cer and spread to oth­er parts of your body. Colono­scopies are rec­om­mend­ed for every­one 45 years of age or old­er. Those who are at a high­er risk for col­orec­tal can­cer may be advised to begin screen­ing colono­scopies sooner. 

Most health insur­ance plans cov­er screen­ing colono­scopies for those at aver­age risk for colon can­cer. Learn more about when a screen­ing colonoscopy becomes a diag­nos­tic colonoscopy. 

Colo­guard®

Colo­guard® is an at-home col­orec­tal can­cer screen­ing test. It is best for those at aver­age risk of devel­op­ing this type of can­cer. You’ll receive a kit with every­thing you need to col­lect a stool sam­ple with min­i­mal con­tact with your stool.

FIT Test 

A FIT test is an at-home test that looks for blood in your bow­els (stool or poop), which can be a symp­tom of can­cer and oth­er health issues. It is best for those at aver­age risk of devel­op­ing this type of can­cer. You’ll receive a kit with every­thing you need to col­lect a stool sam­ple with min­i­mal con­tact with your stool.

    Take charge of your health and sched­ule your screen­ing colonoscopy today by call­ing 630−717−2600.