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Colorectal cancer is one of the commonest cancers worldwide and is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in developed countries. Routine screening for colorectal cancer is one of the most important things you should do to keep yourself healthy and free from disease. Here are some important myths about colon cancer screening you should know:
Myth No. 1: I don’t need to go for colon cancer screening because I have regular bowel habits
Screening for colorectal cancer is about checking yourself for early cancer before symptoms appear. You should go for screening even if you are totally asymptomatic.The prognosis of colorectal cancer depends mainly on the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Early stage cancer is very much curable, but we must try to detect this before it presents with the usual symptoms of blood in the stools, change in bowel habits, abdominal pain or intestinal obstruction.
Routine screening for colorectal cancer also helps prevent cancer by detecting and removing the problem at the pre-cancerous stage. The vast majority of colorectal cancers start off as little fleshy growths called polyps which take a good 5 to 10 years to grow before they undergo cancer change. They start to form when we hit our forties, so a good recommendation is to do your first colon screening by the age of 50 or so.
Myth No. 2: I don’t need to go for colon cancer screening because I don’t have any relatives with cancer
Colon polyps form due to genetic mutations. These genetic accidents become more frequent as our cells age and can occur to anyone. The majority of colorectal cancers happen in people who have no family history of cancer so you are still at risk even if no one in your family has ever had it. In fact, only 10 to 20 percent of people that have colorectal cancer have a family member with colorectal cancer.
On the other hand, if you do have a family history of colorectal cancer (or even cancers with associated genetic risk such as stomach, breast or uterine cancers), your risk of getting colorectal cancer becomes much higher and this can happen at a younger age. You start doing screening at the age of 40, or 10 years earlier than the youngest age of diagnosis of your relatives with cancer.
Myth No. 3: Colon cancer screening is troublesome and a waste of time
By far the best way to screen for colon cancers is by a simple endoscopic procedure called colonoscopy. This is a complete visual examination of the entire colon using a flexible telescope. It is a simple and safe 20 minute procedure done with intravenous sedation. Everyone should have a colonoscopy every 5 to 10 years, but many people procrastinate because of the hassle involved in getting the procedure arranged. This usually involves a visit to your family or company doctor for a referral to see a surgeon or gastroenterologist, the consultation with the specialist (usually no more than a 5 minute chat) and finally the logistics of booking the colonoscopy itself.
Screening colonoscopy saves lives. With Direct-Access colonoscopy you should no longer have an excuse not to get your screening done!
This article is written by Dr Melvin Look, he is the Director of Pan-Asia Surgery at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital and Parkway East Hospital.
To make an appointment with Dr Melvin Look, head to GetDoc!
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Edited by Aditi Upadhyay
by Hridya
A biochemist by education who could never put what she studied to good use, finally found GetDoc as a medium to do what she loved - bring information to people using a forum that is dedicated to all things medical. View all articles by Hridya.
