Colonoscopy Screening for Special Populations

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Colonoscopy Screening for Special Populations

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Knowing the results, whether bad or good is
worth it.
Thats what a young woman named Danae from
Washington D.C. told the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) after her first
screening. She was much younger than the usual
candidate for a colonoscopy, but with a history
of colon cancer on both sides of her family,
shed always been familiar with the importance of
getting screened. Along with advice from her
doctor, she decided it was better to be safe than
sorry. Even though the process itself may be
uncomfortable, I would tell people who hesitate
to get screened that knowing the resultswhether
good or badis worth it, she said, according to
the CDCs website. In a series of testimonials,
a myriad of patients, previously diagnosed with
colon cancer or not, defend the importance of
getting screened. If they can catch it earlywhy
not get screened? David from Connecticut asked.
Based on testimonials, studies, and statistics,
its obviously no secret that colonoscopies can
save lives. The procedure helps detect growths,
cancers and other abnormalities at an early
stage, before they can threaten your
health. Despite efforts to inform people of all
ages about the preventative power of
colonoscopies, the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services Heath System Measuring Project
found that not only is the rate of screenings for
recommended populations low, but the number of
screenings for at risk populations is even lower.
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Knowing the results, whether bad or good is
worth it.
According to the CDC, in 2012, more than 100,000
people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and
more than 50,000 died, contributing to the
diseases status as the second leading cause of
cancer-related deaths in the country. But
increasing screenings could significantly
decrease these morbid statistics by at least 60
percent. In general, the United
States Preventative Service Task Force, the
American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
and the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on
Colorectal Cancer recommend that adults over the
age of 50 receive screenings including but not
limited to colonoscopies every 10 years, an
annual check-up and a flexible sigmoidoscopy
every five years. However,
physicians agree that doesnt mean other
populations shouldnt partake in the practice as
well. For example, according to a study published
by the National Institutes of Health, a younger
individual diagnosed with Familial Adenomatous
Polyposis (FAP) syndrome, an inherited disorder
which is characterized by an extensive growth of
polyps throughout the colon, has a significant
risk of developing colon cancer. This disease
state is characterized by a mutation of the APC
gene responsible for generating a type of protein
that suppresses cancer. Patients with this
disease should have screening colonoscopies
starting at age ten, repeated yearly.
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Knowing the results, whether bad or good is
worth it.
If an individual has been diagnosed with cancer
or other diseases of the colon, including
inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohns
disease or ulcerative colitis, screenings should
start as early as eight to ten years of age and
be repeated every one to two years, especially if
the diagnoses involves at least one-third of the
colon. The American College of Gastroenterology
recommends family history of such disease states
should serve as an incentive to have annual
consultations and a colonoscopy every three
years. As far as colon cancer goes, other
factors can also contribute to an increased risk
whereby an individual would benefit from
screening at an earlier age. These factors
include the consideration of race.
African-Americans, for instance, have the highest
age-adjusted CRC (colorectal cancer) rate. The
high risk affects all areas of the colon, except
the rectum. For this reason, the suggested age to
initiate screening colonoscopies is 45.
African-American women, especially, have a higher
risk compared to women of other
ethnicities. Overall, women have a higher rate
of colon cancer than men. However, over time,
older men are more at risk, especially for
diagnoses such as distal adenoma, tumors in the
lower colon, and proximal neoplasia, a type of
abnormal growth in the upper colon. Though the
chance of CRC increases with age, such factors
have been recognized as more accurate determinant
of risk rather than age alone.
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If youre unsure of your risk factors, would like
more information or would like to schedule a
personal screening, please visit the link below.
Visit this Link to Find a Gastroenterologist in
your Area
http//gastrosymptoms.com/find-a-gastroenterologis
t-in-your-area/
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