10/28/2016
Colon cancer
Most colon cancers (cancers of the colon and re**um) are found in people age 50 or older. People with a personal or family history of this cancer, or who have polyps in their colon or re**um, or those with inflammatory bowel disease are more likely to have colon cancer. Also, being overweight, eating a diet mostly of high-fat foods (especially from animal sources), smoking, and being inactive can make a person more likely to have this cancer.
What you can do
Colon cancer almost always starts with a polyp – a small growth on the lining of the colon or re**um. Testing can save lives by finding polyps before they become cancer. If pre-cancerous polyps are removed, colon cancer can be prevented.
For people at average risk, the American Cancer Society recommends getting one of the following tests, starting at age 50:
Tests that find polyps and cancer
Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*, or
Colonoscopy every 10 years, or
Double-contrast barium e***a every 5 years*, or
CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) every 5 years*
Tests that mostly find cancer
Yearly guaiac-based f***l occult blood test (gFOBT)**, or
Yearly f***l immunochemical test (FIT)**, or
Stool DNA test (sDNA) every 3 years*
* If the test is positive, a colonoscopy should be done. ** The multiple stool take-home method should be used. One test done by the doctor is not enough. A colonoscopy should be done if the test is positive.
The tests that are designed to find both early cancer and polyps should be your first choice if these tests are available to you and you’re willing to have one of them. Talk to a health care provider about which test is best for you.
If you are at high risk of colon cancer based on family history or other factors, you may need to be tested at a younger age with colonoscopy. Talk to a health care provider about your risk for colon cancer to know when you should start testing.
