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
Former White House press secretary Tony Snow died of colon cancer this past weekend at the age of 53. He was first diagnosed in 2005 at the age of 50. Current guidelines recommend that screening for colon cancer for people with average risk should begin at age 50 (and be repeated every 10 years) but that people with a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, child) with colon cancer should begin screening at age 40 (or 10 years younger than the earliest diagnosis in their family). Mr. Snow’s mother died of colon cancer at age 38 when he was just 17 years old, which would mean that he should have begun screening at age 28 and have had it repeated every 5 years. Had he followed those guidelines he might still be alive and cancer-free today.
Have you been screened for colon cancer?
Not counting skin cancer, colon cancer is […]
Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, so I thought I’d republish a posting from last year that helps dispel a few myths about this disease:
1- Colon cancer is primarily a disease of men. This is false. Colon cancer affects men and women equally, both in terms of diagnosis and death. Everyone must be aware of the risks of colon cancer.
2- Colon cancer will show signs or symptoms, so I don’t need to be screened. This is false. Most cases of colon cancer will not show any symptoms at all. And by the time colon cancer becomes symptomatic (change in stool, weight loss, pain, bleeding), the cancer is at an advanced stage. To avoid advanced colon cancer, you must undergo screening prior to the development of symptoms.
3- Colon cancer is a disease of the elderly, so I don’t need to be screened. This is false. Everyone needs screening beginning at […]
Original post by admin and weightlossopinions.com
