Tests to Ace

5 exams that could help detect colon cancer.

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Scheduling your colorectal exams regularly could save your life. Here are 5 to consider:

Fecal occult blood test: Using a stool specimen taken at home and brought to the doctor's office, this is a quick analysis that checks for hidden drops of blood, a possible early warning sign of cancer.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy: A narrow, lighted tube is inserted into the rectum to examine the lower third of the colon.

Double-contrast barium enema: A lower-tech, less sensitive way to examine the entire colorectal area, using x-rays.

Colonoscopy: The most reliable test of the group. After abstaining from solid food for a day or so and clearing the bowel, you're sedated, and the physician snakes a thin tube into the colon to look for polyps or cancerous tumors. Small growths can usually be removed on the spot; larger polyps can be biopsied and removed later during surgery.

Virtual colonoscopy: Uses CT scan images for a detailed look. If polyps are found, traditional colonoscopy follows. This test has promise, but its effectiveness isn't proven; it's still too new and costly for widespread use.

From Reader's Digest - October 2006

 

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