Starting at age 50, most people become familiar with the colonoscopy. Used to screen for colorectal cancer and pre-cancerous polyps, the colonoscopy has proven to be very effective at finding issues early and removing polyps before they have the chance to turn into cancer. If it’s time for you to schedule this screening test, be sure to review the following questions with your provider.
Why do I have to the bowel preparation?
Bowel preparation typically refers to the laxatives taken before the test to clean the colon of fecal matter. During a colonoscopy a long flexible tube with a camera is inserted into the colon. The physician looks through the camera to detect polyps. If fecal debris is present it can obscure the camera view and result in a less effective test.
What is the doctor’s adenoma detection rate?
The adenoma detection rate is a quality measure of how many precancerous polyps (adenomas) are found in screening. Studies have shown that higher detection rates directly relate to a lower risk of a patient’s developing cancer. Rates vary between doctors for many reasons but studies show that a general benchmark to look for is a 25 percent rate or higher for men, and 15 percent of higher for women. (Adenomas are more common in men.)
When should I schedule my next colonoscopy?
If you have polyps removed, you will probably need to have a colonoscopy sooner than standard guidelines recommend. The American Cancer Society has published guidelines for people at normal, increased and high risk.
Improving Cancer Care for North Central Indiana
Cass County’s population suffers from cancer at rates that are higher than the state and national average. We need to be able to do more to care for these patients while keeping them closer to home. Our new regional Cancer Care Center will bring all cancer care services on-site to Logansport Memorial Hospital and offer expanded services, leading edge technology and more convenient care for patients and their families.
Learn more about our Building for Generations efforts.
