Deaths from colorectal cancer have decreased with the onset of screening programs. While other screening procedures as mammograms and skin checks only detect cancer after it started, colorectal cancer screening looks for precancerous signs, such as polyps. By removing these lesions, your doctor can actually prevent cancer from developing.
There are several ways to screen for colon cancer. The one with the best detection rates is colonoscopy, where the doctor inspects the entire length of the colon with a colonoscope. This is a thin, flexible, lighted tube with a small video camera on the end. It’s inserted through the anus into the rectum and colon.
Its special design allows the doctor to view the inside of the colon. Should there be any suspicious-looking areas, such as polyps, they can be removed immediately by a special instrument introduced through the colonoscope. Colonoscopy may be done in a hospital outpatient department, in an Ambulatory Surgery Center, or in a doctor’s office.