Colorectal Cancer Screening
Hi, thank you for coming back for the latest edition of Beyond Primary Care’s blog- colorectal cancer screenings. In Beyond Primary Care blogs we highlight healthcare news, advice for medical conditions, and how membership for care works! Beyond Primary Care is an insurance free, membership based family medicine clinic. Beyond Primary Care is the highest rated Direct Primary Care clinic serving patients in Ann Arbor and throughout Washtenaw, Livingston, and Wayne counties giving families and employers peace of mind about healthcare costs by providing affordable and accessible primary care services.
The primary purpose of the blog is to introduce healthy lifestyle concepts and answer common questions I receive from patients that I believe are important. I want to start discussions that will help educate, benefit, and improve your well-being.
In this blog post, I wanted to discuss an important healthcare decision both males and females need to consider as we age:
Why You Should Have Colorectal Cancer Screening
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Colorectal cancer is a cancer that happens in the colon or rectum of our large bowels, and is called ‘Colon Cancer’ for short. On the inside of the colon or rectum where stool would normally pass through, abnormal growths can develop, what we refer to medically as ‘Polyps.’ Not ever polyp is cancer, however, some polyps may turn into cancer.
Why Colon Cancer Is Important
Colon cancer can affect both males and females across all racial demographics, and is most frequently found in individuals 50 years old or older.
You may ask yourself, doesn’t colon cancer affect primarily older individuals and should anyone younger be concerned? It is true that a greater amount of new cases are found in older individuals. However, colon cancer being diagnosed in young adults does occur.
It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States for men and women combined. In 2017 for the State of Michigan, there were 4,607 colon and rectum related cancer cases reported. A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that adults born around 1990 have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer compared with adults born in the 1950s.
When Should I Get Screened for Colon Cancer?
The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends for individuals at average risk to begin colon cancer screening at age 45.
Factors for individuals to be considered average risk include not having:
A personal history of colorectal cancer or certain types of polyps
A family history of colorectal cancer
A personal history of inflammatory bowel disease (eg- ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease)
A confirmed or known genetic colon cancer syndrome
A personal history of getting radiation to the belly to treat a previous cancer
It is mentionable that the United States Preventative Task Force (USPTF), another major panel that develops evidence-based recommendations for clinical preventive services, continues to recommend screening starting at age 50 years of age. Though, they have not updated their recommendations since 06/2016.
Why the difference in Screening Recommendations? It comes back to the harms versus the benefits of screening. Ahh yes, too much of anything can sometimes be fraught with unintended consequences. However, If you’re reading this blog post, you have already accomplished the awareness for the need of screening. That’s a win, let’s leave it there for now.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests
Once the decision to be screened for colon cancer has started, people should talk with their doctor to determine which test is right for them, and how often to get tested. Several options for testing can be used to detect polyps or colon cancer beyond colonoscopies. Discussed is a sample of testing and how they work:
Colonoscopy Viewing A Polyp
Colonoscopy
When most Americans hear “colon cancer screening” they think colonoscopy- that terrible elixir you have to drink to clean the bowels, the serpent-like scope, the shared ride home because you can drive. Alright, that is maybe how a doctor thinks of them.
In reality, a doctor is able to look inside the rectum and colon when you are in twilight (sedation). They accomplish this by using a flexible, lighted tube that is inserted into the rectum and through the colon. It is the most popular method, and physicians who perform colonoscopies still regard the procedure as the “gold standard” since it has the highest detection rate of small growths and polyps. Added benefit: with colonoscopies polyps can be removed and suspicious tissues biopsied. The USPTF recommended frequency is every 10 years.
Stool Sample with either FIT or Cologuard Test
Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), aka iFOBT
This test looks for tiny amounts of blood in the stool that may be displaced by a polyp. You get this test from your physician, take a stool sample at home, and then return the sample to the doctor or mailed directly to the laboratory. Only if you have a positive result would a colonoscopy be recommended. No colon cleanse or time off of work is needed. The USPTF recommended frequency is every year.
Cologuard, aka FIT-DNA
You have also seen those commercials with the talking box is it gets way too personable with the person in the bathroom. That is Cologuard, a test that looks for blood and DNA mutations in your stool that could indicate colorectal cancer. Comparatively, this test is a currently more expensive than the iFOBT, but does allow the same conveniences of having a stool sample at home collected without a colon cleanse or time off of work. The USPTF recommended frequency is every 3 years.
Which screening test should you choose?
Choose the one that fits your preferences, lifestyle, and resources available for testing and follow-up (ie. budget).
Why You Should Have Colorectal Cancer Screening
At Beyond Primary Care, we offer stool based testing from the comfort of your own home and work with gastroenterologists that perform colonoscopies. Create a relationship with a primary care physician. Learn about what you can do to decrease your risk and get screened to detect cancers at an earlier stage. If you have health insurance, a colonoscopy or any of the stool-based testing may be covered as a preventative screening test. If it is not covered, or if you do not have health insurance, we have negotiated competitive cash rate for our members.
Please contact Dr. O’Boyle directly with any questions or to schedule an appointment to discuss further. I look forward to hearing from you!
