There are a few signs and symptoms of colon cancer:
- Change in consistency of stool such as diarrhea or constipation
- Blood in stool
- Rectal bleeding
- Anemia
- Abdominal pain, cramps or discomfort
- Weight loss
- Feeling that your bowels didn’t empty completely
Most cases of colon cancer are in people over the age of 50.
We begin screening for colon cancer at age 45-75.
If you have signs or symptoms of colon cancer, you can be screened earlier.
At Florida Community Health Center, we will test you for colon cancer with a iFOBT or fecal
occult blood test or send you for a colonoscopy
The FOBT is a test that checks for hidden (occult blood) in your stool.
A sample of your stool is placed in a special collection tube and your clinician will send it to the lab.
If your FOBT is negative, you will need to be screened annually.
If your FOBT is positive, this means that there is blood in the stool. This can be caused by
colon cancer but also by other benign conditions such as polyps, hemorrhoids, or inflammation.
Your clinician will then send you to a local gastroenterologist for a colonoscopy.
Your clinician may send you for a colonoscopy which is a more sensitive test.
This is done by a gastroenterologist.
The specialist can view the entire colon and rectum and take biopsies of the colon if needed.
A colonoscopy can diagnose and also treat you at the same time, such as removing polyps
which can evolve into a colon cancer.
Your specialist will tell you when you need a repeat colonoscopy
If your test is negative or your colon is normal, you will need another colonoscopy in 10 years.
If you have any of these signs or symptoms or would like colon cancer screening, please
contact your clinician or make an appointment to see a clinician at Florida Community Health Center.
The ACS recommends that people at average risk of colorectal cancer start regular screening at age 45. This can be done either with a sensitive test that looks for signs of cancer in a person’s stool (a stool-based test), or with an exam that looks at the colon and rectum (a visual exam). These options are listed below.
People who are in good health and with a life expectancy of more than 10 years should continue regular colorectal cancer screening through the age of 75.
For people ages 76 through 85, the decision to be screened should be based on a person’s preferences, life expectancy, overall health, and prior screening history.
People over 85 should no longer get colorectal cancer screening.
For screening, people are considered to be at average risk if they do not have:
- A personal history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps
- A family history of colorectal cancer
- A personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease)
- A confirmed or suspected hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome, such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer or HNPCC)
- A personal history of getting radiation to the abdomen (belly) or pelvic area to treat a prior cancer
Test options for colorectal cancer screening
Several test options are available for colorectal cancer screening:
Stool-based tests
- Highly sensitive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) every year
- Highly sensitive guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) every year
- Multi-targeted stool DNA test (mt-sDNA) every 3 years
Visual (structural) exams of the colon and rectum
- Colonoscopy every 10 years
- CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FSIG) every 5 years
There are some differences between these tests to consider, but the most important thing is to get screened, no matter which test you choose. Talk to your health care provider about which tests might be good options for you, and to your insurance provider about your coverage.
If a person chooses to be screened with a test other than colonoscopy, any abnormal test result should be followed up with a timely colonoscopy.
For people at increased or high risk
People at increased or high risk of colorectal cancer might need to start colorectal cancer screening before age 45, be screened more often, and/or get specific tests. This includes people with:
- A strong family history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps (see Colorectal Cancer Risk Factors)
- A personal history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps
- A personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease)
- A known family history of a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch syndrome (also known as hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer or HNPCC)
- A personal history of radiation to the abdomen (belly) or pelvic area to treat a prior cancer
The American Cancer Society does not have screening guidelines specifically for people at increased or high risk of colorectal cancer. However, some other professional medical organizations, such as the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (USMSTF), do put out such guidelines. These guidelines are complex and are best looked at along with your health care provider. In general, these guidelines put people into several groups (although the details depend on each person’s specific risk factors).
People with one or more family members who have had colon or rectal cancer
Screening recommendations for these people depend on who in the family had cancer and how old they were when it was diagnosed. Some people with a family history will be able to follow the recommendations for average risk adults, but others might need to get a colonoscopy (and not any other type of test) more often, and possibly starting before age 45.
People who have had certain types of polyps removed during a colonoscopy
Most of these people will need to get a colonoscopy again after 3 years, but some people might need to get one earlier (or later) than 3 years, depending on the type, size, and number of polyps.
People who have had colon or rectal cancer
Most of these people will need to start having colonoscopies regularly about one year after surgery to remove the cancer. Other procedures like MRI or proctoscopy with ultrasound might also be recommended for some people with rectal cancer, depending on the type of surgery they had.
People who have had radiation to the abdomen (belly) or pelvic area to treat a prior cancer
Most of these people will need to start having colorectal screening (colonoscopy or stool based testing) at an earlier age (depending on how old they were when they got the radiation). Screening often begins 5 years after the radiation was given or at age 30, whichever comes last. These people might also need to be screened more often than normal (such as at least every 3 to 5 years).
People at high risk for colorectal cancer
People with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis)
These people generally need to get colonoscopies (not any other type of test) starting at least 8 years after they are diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. Follow-up colonoscopies should be done every 1 to 3 years, depending on the person’s risk factors for colorectal cancer and the findings on the previous colonoscopy.
People known or suspected to have certain genetic syndromes
These people generally need to have a colonoscopy (not any of the other tests). Screening is often recommended to begin at a young age, possibly as early as the teenage years for some syndromes – and needs to be done much more frequently. Specifics depend on which genetic syndrome you have, and other factors.
If you’re at increased or high risk of colorectal cancer (or think you might be), talk to your health care provider to learn more. Your provider can suggest the best screening option for you, as well as determine what type of screening schedule you should follow, based on your individual risk.
Reference (s): https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/acs-recommendations.html