1. Why is screening for colorectal cancer important?
2. My doctor hasn’t talked to me about colorectal cancer screening. Why?
3. Who should get screened and at what age?
4. What screening tests do I need?
5. What is the EZ Detect™ Fecal Occult Blood Test?
6. What is sigmoidoscopy and when is it used?
7. What is a Barium x-ray and when is it used?
8. What is colonoscopy and when is it used?
9. What are common symptoms of colorectal cancer?

1) Why is screening for colorectal cancer important?

According to the Cancer Research Foundation of America, as many as 30 to 40 percent of the population over age 50 has pre-cancerous adenomatous polyps.

Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon (the large bowel or large intestine) and/or the rectum. Most cases of colorectal cancer begin as non-cancerous polyps that grow on the wall of the colon or rectum. For reasons that are not fully understood, these polyps become cancerous.

Colorectal cancer affects men and women in equal numbers. While risk factors are important predictors, 75 percent of all new cases of colorectal cancer occur in individuals with no known risk factors other than age.

2) My doctor hasn’t talked to me about colorectal cancer screening.  Why?

Sadly, although physicians routinely recommend Pap smears, prostate cancer screenings, mammography and chest x-rays for patients, screening for colorectal cancer remains vastly underutilized. This may be the result of the uneasiness physicians and patients feel in discussing colorectal cancer. However, screening can save lives. Unfortunately, only 37 percent of colorectal cancer patients come to the doctor at an early stage when the cure rate is as high as 95 percent.

With 130,000 new cases of colorectal cancer and 56,000 deaths anticipated in the year 2000, there is no room for embarrassment or silence about colorectal cancer. The fact is, screening is safe, effective and readily available and a fecal occult blood test is the place to start.

3) Who Should Get Screened and at what age?

4) What Screening Tests Do I Need?

Beginning at age 50 the Colon Cancer Alliance recommends that you:

5) What is the EZ Detect™ Fecal Occult Blood Test?

EZ Detect™ is a two minute test to detect hidden blood in the stool. A user simply drops a chemically treated biodegradable tissue into the toilet bowl after a bowel movement. A blue-green color will appear on the tissue within two minutes if blood is detected.  The test is repeated for three consecutive bowel movements, with results recorded on a Test Results Card provided with the EZ Detect™ Kit. The person then mails the card to his/her physician or screening center for professional evaluation.

Not all positive results indicate colorectal cancer. A positive result may also indicate ulcers, hemmorhoids, polyps, colitis, diverticulitis or fissures which may not show visible symptoms even though they are producing blood in the stool. EZ Detect™ can therefore serve as an early warning sign of bowel troubles that need medical attention.

6) What is Sigmoidoscopy and when is it used?

Sigmoidoscopy is a visual examination of the rectum and lower portion of the colon, performed in a doctor’s office. This test can be uncomfortable, but it should not be painful. This screening method can detect 67 to 75 percent of polyps and 40 to 65 percent of colorectal cancers.

7) What is a Barium X-Ray and when is it used?

Double contrast barium enema (DCBE) or Barium X-Ray is an x-ray examination of the rectum and entire colon performed in a hospital or clinic. Your doctor or health professional will give you an enema containing white dye or barium, followed by an injection of air. The barium outlines the intestine and enables the doctor or health professional to take x-rays of the lower intestine.

8) What is a Colonoscopy and when is it used?

Colonoscopy, the most thorough test procedure, is a visual examination of the rectum and entire colon, performed in a hospital or clinic. Using a slender, flexible lighted instrument called a colonoscope, a doctor (a gastroenterologist) looks at the inside walls of the full length of the colon.  If abnormalities are found, they can be removed or a biopsy can be performed during the same procedure. This exam does not usually cause pain, although it can be uncomfortable. A general anesthesia is sometimes used for this procedure.

9) What are common symptoms of Colorectal Cancer?

According to the National Cancer Institute, common signs and symptoms of colon cancer include: - A change in bowel habits - Diarrhea, constipation or feeling that the bowel does not empty completely - Blood in the stool - Stools that are narrower than usual - General abdominal discomfort (frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness, and/or cramps) - Weight loss with no known reason - Constant tiredness - Vomiting. If these problems persist, talk to your doctor and consult with a gastroenterologist.

SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute