Colonoscopies beneficial for finding cancer early
June 20th, 2009 by Jennifer Walker-Journey
An estimated 106,100 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer and 40,870 with rectal cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. But the good news is that the death rate is dropping. One reason is that regular screenings have allowed doctors to find more colorectal cancers sooner, thus making the disease easier to cure.
The colonoscopy has been considered a gold standard in the detection of ulcers, colon polyps, tumors, and areas of inflammation or bleeding. During a colonoscopy, a thin, flexible tube called a colonocsope with a video camera attached at the end is inserted into the rectum and colon, which allows your doctor to look at the lining of the large intestine.
During the colonoscopy, doctors can collect tissue samples, and abnormal growths, like polyps, can be removed. During the screening tests, doctors can check for cancer or precancerous cells in the polyps collected from the colon or rectum.
Before having a colonoscopy, patients must clean out their colons. A clear liquid diet is ordered and prescription or over-the-counter medications are usually taken to help loosen the stool and encourage elimination.
The procedures are extremely beneficial, but patients should be aware of some risks associated with the bowel-clearing products often used to prior to colonoscopies. Two prescription oral sodium phosphate (OSP) products from Salix Pharmaceuticals – Visicol and Osmo Prep – recently fell under a black box warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after reports of a serious form of kidney injury in patients who had used the products.
The FDA expressed similar concern over over-the-counter OSP solutions, such as Fleet Phospho-soda and Fleet Accu-Prep, that are often used at higher doses to cleanse the bowel before colonoscopies. As a result, maker C.B. Fleet has pulled those products from the shelves, making them only available by prescription.
You should discuss any concerns with your doctor.
Sources:
American Cancer Society
WebMD