What you need to know about a colon screening

Colon cancer screenings are vital to diagnosing colon cancer while still in its early stages. Current recommendations are for everyone over 50 years old to have a colon cancer screening. If you are over 50, it’s time for you to see a skilled gastroenterologist like the doctors at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates in Suffolk County, New York. If you schedule regular colon cancer screenings, you can lower your risk of colon cancer by as much as 90 percent!

According to the American Cancer Society, common symptoms of colon cancer to watch for include:

• Diarrhea, constipation or a change in stool consistency
• Dark stools, which may indicate blood in your stool
• Bleeding from your rectum
• Cramping and pain in your abdomen
• Fatigue and weakness
• Weight loss

Colon cancer typically starts as a polyp, which is a precancerous growth in the lining of your colon. If a polyp is found, it can be removed before it can become cancerous. The doctors at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates want you to know some of the risk factors of colon cancer, such as:

• A high fat diet, low fiber diet
• A sedentary lifestyle and obesity
• Smoking and alcohol use
• A family history of colon cancer

There are several colon screening procedures available, and your doctors at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates will recommend the treatments best for you. Procedures available for colon cancer screening include:

• A colonoscopy- to examine your entire colon and rectal lining
• A sigmoidoscopy- to examine your lower colon and rectal lining
• CT colonography- using CT technology to take scans of your bowel
• Stool tests- to check for blood and abnormal DNA in your stool
• Stool tests and sigmoidoscopy- when combined these procedures may be more effective than each test performed separately

The doctors at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates want you to know that colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. In fact, each year, about 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and 50,000 people will die from it.

Don’t become a statistic! If you are over 50 years old, don’t wait, because your life might depend on it. Call the doctors at Brookhaven Gastroenterology Associates in Suffolk County, New York and find out more about colon cancer screening. Call today!