Colonoscopy: Your Key to Colon Cancer Prevention
The lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is approximately 1 in 25 for both men and women.
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found among Thais. Many patients who have never undergone colonoscopy as a cancer screening test are often diagnosed with the disease at a severe stage. Primarily because it is seen as an implausibility, or they decide to do the test only when abnormal abdominal pain starts to show and bleed during defecation. Colonoscopy for a colorectal cancer screening test should be done at the age of 40 and above for 3 following reasons.
- Colorectal cancer is vastly found in people aged over 50. Hence, it is vital to undergo the colorectal cancer screening test with colonoscopy every 5 years. However, if you have a close relative diagnosed with colorectal cancer, you should go through the screening test with colonoscopy from the age of 40 and repeat the test every 3-5 years.
- If you wait until an abnormal sign appears, like blood in stool, diarrhea with blood, constipation, always having to put pressure when passing stool, or defecating less, it’s likely that you are at high risk. Because oftentimes, patients with these symptoms are already at a severe stage of colorectal cancer and have an increased risk of death.
- Colonoscopy is a good screening test for colorectal cancer. Because if polyp, which may be a factor causing colorectal cancer, is detected, it will be able to get treated at an early stage and has a higher chance of being completely cured.
In spite of colonoscopy being a screening test for colorectal cancer, it can also be used to diagnose other colon-related diseases. In addition, it is highly advised to undergo gastrointestinal endoscopy regularly as a recommendation of your doctor and examine by a specialist who is an expert in endoscopic technology to receive an accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment.
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