What Is A Colonoscopy And Should I Get One?

Colorectal crab is nan third-most diagnosed crab and 3rd starring origin of crab deaths successful nan US, according to nan Cancer Research Institute. It is besides nan third-most communal crab successful nan UK, and accounted for 12.6% of caller crab cases successful nan state successful 2021.

Rates of nan illness person dropped wide successful caller decades, but successful those nether 50, rates person accrued significantly.

“Individuals calved successful nan 1980s are astir doubly arsenic apt to get colorectal crab arsenic those calved successful nan 1960s, and individuals calved successful nan 1990s are astir 3 times arsenic likely,” says Dr Zachariah Foda, adjunct professor of medicine and oncology astatine nan Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Experts don’t cognize nan reasons down this increase, but aesculapian guidelines person shifted to reside it. In 2021, nan recommended property to commencement colorectal crab screening successful nan US – either by colonoscopy aliases at-home testing – was lowered from 50 to 45. In nan UK, screening is currently offered starting astatine property 52, and will soon beryllium offered to those aged 50.

Colorectal crab is preventable and “highly treatable” if detected early, according to nan National Cancer Institute. But fewer than 20% of those aged 45 to 49 are keeping up pinch screenings, compared pinch 72% of those aged 50 to 75. Experts opportunity immoderate group don’t cognize they should beryllium getting screened, and others are tense astir what colonoscopies entail.

Here’s what you request to cognize astir colonoscopies and colorectal crab screening.

What is simply a colonoscopy?

“A colonoscopy is an endoscopic procedure, meaning we usage a camera astatine nan extremity of a agelong conduit to analyse nan colon and rectum,” explains Foda. The colon itself is astir 70cm long, he says.

Patients are first put nether sedation aliases anesthesia. Doctors past insert nan scope into their rectum, and analyse nan lining of nan colon for immoderate abnormalities, for illustration masses aliases mini bumps called polyps. These polyps are usually removed during nan procedure.

“The closest affinity is, you person a mole connected your tegument and it’s increasing aliases discolored, and doctors region it,” says Michael Sapienza, CEO of nan Colorectal Cancer Alliance, a colorectal crab defense group successful nan US.

If a wide is excessively large to region during nan colonoscopy, nan expert will return a sample to biopsy and trial for cancer.

A colonoscopy is an outpatient procedure, meaning you tin spell location nan aforesaid day. The process itself usually takes astir 20 to 30 minutes, but pinch pre- and post-procedure care, nan full process tin past 2 to 3 hours, says Dr Andres Carrion, a gastroenterologist astatine GastroMed Miami.

One of nan astir communal concerns astir colonoscopies is that they are painful, says Carrion. But “intravenous sedatives make nan process easy, and location is nary symptom aliases discomfort”, he explains.

How do you hole for a colonoscopy?

Colonoscopy mentation starts astir a week earlier nan procedure. Patients are instructed to eat a “low residue” fare for that week, which intends avoiding foods that tin make it difficult for doctors to get a bully look astatine nan lining of nan colon.

“These are things that nan assemblage takes a while to get free of, for illustration seeds, nuts, leafy greens and precocious fibre things,” says Foda.

The time earlier nan procedure, patients are restricted to a clear liquid fare – nary coagulated foods. And nan nighttime before, they return laxatives to afloat clear nan colon. This tin consequence successful spending rather a spot of clip connected nan toilet.

“Hopefully you person immoderate bully reference aliases a movie you tin watch connected your phone,” says Sapienza.

What are nan risks of a colonoscopy?

Colonoscopies are mostly highly safe, but arsenic pinch immoderate aesculapian procedure, location are risks.

According to nan Cleveland Clinic, these see an adverse guidance to nan sedative aliases anaesthetic used, dehydration from nan mentation process, flimsy bleeding aft a polyp is removed aliases wide biopsied, immoderate abdominal pain, infection and a perforated bowel.

This past consequence is serious, but rare. One review recovered that location were 4 bowel perforations for each 10,000 colonoscopies performed.

At what property should you get screened for colorectal cancer?

Those astatine an mean consequence of colorectal crab – meaning nary family history of nan illness and nary anterior history of colon polyps – should get regular screenings from ages 45 to 75, says Carrion.

Above nan property of 75, screening needs are wished connected a case-by-case basis. Depending connected a person’s wellness and aesculapian history, doctors whitethorn determine that colonoscopies could do much harm than good.

For those pinch a first-degree family personnel – meaning a parent, related aliases kid – diagnosed pinch colorectal cancer, Carrion says screening should commencement 10 years earlier nan property astatine which your comparative was diagnosed. For example, if your mother was diagnosed pinch colon crab erstwhile she was 45, you should commencement getting screened astatine 35.

Certain aesculapian histories besides put individuals astatine a higher consequence for colorectal cancer, says Foda. This includes those who person antecedently had crab and person received chemotherapy, those pinch inflammatory bowel disease, arsenic good arsenic those pinch Lynch syndrome (a information that increases an individual’s consequence for galore kinds of cancer) and polyposis (a information characterized by a ample number of polyps successful nan colon).

Are location different methods of colorectal crab screening?

Colonoscopies are not nan only measurement to surface for colorectal cancer. For those astatine an mean consequence of nan disease, location are besides non-invasive at-home tests for illustration Cologuard and nan fecal immunochemical trial (FIT), says Sapienza.

For some tests, a diligent will person nan basal testing worldly successful nan message aliases from a doctor. They will past person to mail successful a individual fecal sample. The FIT analyzes whether location is humor successful nan stool. The Cologuard trial looks for some humor successful nan stool and abnormal DNA that could constituent to polyps aliases masses successful nan colon.

How often should you beryllium screened for colorectal cancer?

The wave for each personification depends connected a number of factors including nan type of trial performed and aesculapian history.

If a colonoscopy is wholly clear, you tin usually hold 10 years earlier your adjacent procedure, says Sapienza, but cheque pinch your doctor.

Current guidance recommends that FIT tests beryllium repeated each year, and Cologuard each 3 years, says Sapienza. If nan trial is negative, nary further study is required. If either trial comes backmost positive, you will person to person a colonoscopy. This does not mean nan at-home tests are not effective astatine detecting nan illness alone, says Foda. “They should beryllium viewed arsenic portion of nan golden modular for colorectal crab screening.”

What are nan symptoms of colorectal cancer?

In summation to regular screenings, beryllium acquainted pinch imaginable symptoms of colorectal cancer, says Sapienza. This is particularly important for those nether 45, who mightiness not beryllium eligible yet for screenings.

These symptoms see humor successful nan stool, particularly acheronian blood; a alteration successful bowel habits; anemia; involuntary weight loss; and/or ongoing tummy discomfort.

If you commencement to coming pinch immoderate of these symptoms, talk to your superior attraction expert aliases gastroenterologist, and inquire for a colonoscopy, he says.

“We request to make judge that group are alert of these symptoms,” says Sapienza. “This is simply a illness wherever screening saves lives.”