Colorectal Cancer Navigation
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Diagnose Colon Cancer
Colorectal cancer, also known as CRC or colon cancer, is one of the leading cancers causing deaths in the U.S., striking both men and women equally. Surpassing both prostate cancer and breast cancer in mortality rate, colon cancer is second to lung cancer in causing death. With almost 150,000 new cases diagnosed per year and almost 60,000 deaths per year, the remarkable fact is that colon cancer is very preventable. The truth is that when colon cancer is detected early, with treatment, the 5-year survival rate is more than 90%. This is why colon cancer screening is crucial to prevent and quickly detect this deadly disease.
Colon Cancer Screening
The American Cancer Society recommends that both men and women should adopt one of the following 5 colon cancer screening recommendations, even if they are only at average risk for developing colon cancer.
- A yearly fecal occult blood test, also called FOBT, or a fecal immunochemical test, also called FIT
- A flexible sigmoidoscopy test every 5 years
- A yearly fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) including a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
- A double contrast barium enema every 5 years
- A colonoscopy every 10 years
The most preferred option of all of these colon cancer screening recommendations is #3: a yearly fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) including a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years. The American Cancer Society also recommends that all colon cancer screening tests with positive results be immediately followed by a colonoscopy.
A New Home Colon Cancer Screening Kit
One of the most exciting new developments in colon cancer screening is the development of a new home test called Quidel's QuickVue iFOB Test. This easy test is a type of fecal immunochemical test (FIT) that a patient uses at home. In the privacy of home, a patient collects a sample, completes the contents of the kit, and mails a sample to a specified physician or laboratory for testing. This simple home colon cancer screening test detects any blood in the sample, which indicates the problem of gastrointestinal disorders like colon cancer.
Requiring only one specimen, the Quidel QuickVue iFOB Test detects human blood, or hemoglobin. Patients do not need to follow any dietary restrictions, however, there are a few restrictions regarding medications. This distinguishes this home colon cancer screening test from guaiac based tests with arduous restrictions. The American Cancer Society recommends the Quidel QuickVue iFOB Test because it is patient friendly, resulting in more people taking the test than with guaiac or FOBT tests. When the colon cancer screening process is simple, the hope is that more patients will take the test.
Unfortunately, even with the advancements in colon cancer screening, fewer than 50% of people over the age of 50 take the test on the recommended basis. Many people over this age have never even taken a colon cancer screening test. Education is the answer. If people knew that it could take 10 years for cancerous cells to take over, they would realize that early detection through a colon cancer screening is an easy and painless way to save their life.
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