Things to know about screening tests for colon cancer

There are several screening options for colon cancer. Every one of these tests has it' s advantages and disadvantages.

There is little data on when to start screening for colon cancer or when to stop. Each of these tests for colon cancer usually give better results at different ages. For example, the FOBT colon cancer screening test is more effective for people that are between fifty and eighty years old. On the other hand, sigmoidoscopy, another colon cancer screening test has been proven more effective if started at the age of forty five. However, there are also some studies that indicate that if you start screening for colon cancer at the age of forty and not at fifty, your life expectancy will only increase by one day. So, there are many debates on what is the right age to start screening for colon cancer, but there are no sure results so far.

These screening options for colon cancer have some harms, but the risk of actually reaching them is very little. In FOBT, the false- positive results that can often occur can lead to some more invasive procedures, such as colonoscopy. However, there is little chance of this happening, because this colon cancer screening test is known to give false- positive results. Sigmoindoscopy can also pose threat on the colon cancer patient, although the risk of this happening is very little as well. This test for colon cancer can lead to a perforation of the bowel. When using this screening option, there are also some adverse effects that the colon cancer patient can suffer from. Some of the people that chose this test complained of pain, bleeding, anxiety or flatus. However, no one of the patients that participated in a study involving this colon cancer screening had any perforations.

Another screening test for colon cancer is called barium enema. Surveys have also been done in this case as well. Results were very good. It seems that only one colon cancer patient in ten thousand actually suffered from any complications. Furthermore, only one person out of twenty five thousand colon cancer patients actually suffered from perforation and out of fifty five thousand patients, only one colon cancer patient has died. Another screening option for colon cancer patients is colonoscopy. However, this is more dangerous than the other tests, because it is a more invasive procedure.

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