March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month and as it’s such an important issue I’d like to bring it up today. I’ve written on this topic several times before but according to the American Cancer Society it is the third most common cancer found in men and women, and the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States so I think it warrants attention.
If you are over the age of 50 (or over 40 with risk factors), you should be screened for colon cancer on a regular basis. The schedule for the various screening methods is shown here (discuss this with your physician and decide which one is best for you):
Tests that find pre-cancer and cancer:
• Colonoscopy every 10 years
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
• Virtual colonoscopy every 5 years
• Double-contrast barium enema every 5 years
Tests that mainly find cancer:
• Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) every year
• […]
Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com
Virtual colonoscopy is an x-ray examination of the colon used to screen for cancer. It is also called CT colonography because the x-ray test used is a CT scan (also called computed tomography or CAT scan for computed axial tomography). Virtual colonoscopy is in the news because of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that compared the x-ray test to traditional colonoscopy and found comparable results in terms of identifying abnormal growths. But while the headlines will tout the positive findings, there are a few things you should know before undergoing one of these procedures.
First off let me say that screening for colon cancer is an extremely important and life-saving yet underutilized undertaking that I’ve written about before, and which you should undergo regularly as appropriate for your age and risk level (please read the article for more details). So efforts […]
Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com
After surgery for colon cancer, you are still at risk, both for cancer recurrence and for development of another new colon cancer. Because of this it’s important for colon cancer survivors to be followed closely and monitored carefully. But new research has found that many such survivors aren’t getting the proper follow-up care. And it looks as though the fault lies more with the doctors than it does with the patients. If you or someone you love is a colon cancer survivor, it’s important to know the guidelines for follow-up in order to ensure you’re getting the right tests.
In the study, published online in the journal Cancer on September 8, 2008 - only 40 percent of colon cancer survivors who were followed for three years had all the right doctor visits and tests. But since 92 percent of patients had all the proper office visits, […]
Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com
Colorectal cancer, which is a cancer of the large intestine (also called the colon or bowel) or the rectum, is, unfortunately, both common and deadly. According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women, and the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. The good news is that most colon cancers develop slowly over many years and there are a variety of screening tests that allow early detection, before symptoms are present, and when the cancer is at an early, treatable stage.
The bad news, however, is that screening for colon cancer is underperformed. A recently published study found the shocking fact that the vast majority of Americans in Medicare aren’t getting proper screening, even though it is a covered procedure. Moreover, among Medicare participants over 70 years old, the percentage of those […]
Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com
