Issue Date: October 26, 2008
Get screened
Reduce your colon cancer risk.
Virtual colonoscopy is less expensive and requires no sedation.
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The risk of developing colon cancer, one of our most commonly diagnosed cancers, can be reduced with the right screening, yet many Americans don't undergo the evaluation.
Getting a colonoscopy usually requires light anesthesia. Using a colonoscope, the physician can inspect the lower part of the intestinal tract, where small amounts of aberrant tissue can grow unnoticed, sometimes degenerating into cancer. By finding these polyps and removing them, doctors can stop the process leading to colon cancer.
Another screening option is com-puted tomographic colonography (or "virtual colonoscopy"). By having a person complete a prep similar to that used for a standard (or optical) colonoscopy, a radiologist can create images of the colon, evaluating it the same way a gastrointestinal specialist would using a scope. A recent "New England Journal of Medicine" study suggests virtual colonoscopy is an effective way to find large polyps. It's less expensive and doesn't require sedation. But it's only a diagnostic tool. If an abnormality is found, you'll need a standard colonoscopy to treat it.
Your risk of getting colon cancer can be cut sharply if you get screened. When it comes to colon cancer, ignorance is definitely not bliss.
Tedd Mitchell, M.D., president and CEO of Dallas' Cooper Clinic (www.cooperaerobics.com), writes HealthSmart every week.
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