Life
Colorectal Cancer Screening and African Americans, prevention, not detection
Colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy: A doctor uses a thin lighted tube to physically check the colon and removes any polyps. Your doctor will give you special laxatives to take before the procedure to clean out your colon. With colonoscopy, you will have sedation (you are asleep during the procedure), and the doctor will check your entire colon. With sigmoidoscopy, you may not need sedation, but the doctor can check only half the colon. Current guidelines recommend that people have a colonoscopy every 10 years or a sigmoidoscopy every 5 years if no polyps are found.
Fecal occult blood test (FOBT), also known as a stool test: For this test, you use a kit at home to take one or more samples of stool. The sample is sent to the doctor’s office or lab to be tested for traces of blood. Some people prefer the stool test because it is done in private, is inexpensive, doesn’t require taking laxatives, and is simple to perform. Current guidelines recommend that people who choose FOBT screening have the test every year.
“Virtual” colonoscopy, also called CT colonography: This procedure uses an imaging test, similar to an x-ray, to look at the inside of the colon without actually putting a tube into the colon. If you have CT colonography you still need a laxative treatment to prepare your colon for the exam. But you won’t need sedation. If the procedure does find polyps, you will need a follow-up colonoscopy to remove them. This procedure is new, and many insurance companies do not pay for it. Current guidelines recommend that people who choose CT colonography get the exam every 5 years, if no polyps are found.
Most guidelines recommend that people at average risk of colorectal cancer begin screening at age 50 and continue until age 75. If you are over 50 and have never been screened for colorectal cancer, ask your healthcare provider about which of these tests is right for you. You can also ask about lifestyle changes that may reduce your risk of colorectal cancer. If someone in your family has had colorectal polyps or cancer, you may need to start screening before age 50. Again, your healthcare provider is the place to start.
Not having health insurance can keep people from getting screened. If you are uninsured or underinsured, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a program in 25 states that provides colorectal cancer screening services to low-income men and women aged 50–64 years. More information on this program can be found at cdc.gov/cancer/crccp. For those with insurance, screening for colorectal cancer is covered under the Affordable Care Act for people over age 50. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to get tested at no cost to you.
To learn more about colorectal cancer, visit the National Cancer Institute (NCI) website at www.cancer.gov (search term: colorectal) or call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). NCI has a variety of information on colorectal cancer risk, prevention, screening, treatment, clinical trials, and a host of other topics.
Source: National Cancer Institute
