Colon Cancer Screening Specialist
-
- Tweet
GI Physicians Inc.
Gastroenterologists located in Lima, OH
Your 50th birthday is a benchmark in many ways. For one, it means you should start getting screened regularly for colon cancer. Ven Kottapalli, MD, CNSP, and the team at GI Physicians Inc. make your colon cancer screening as comfortable and convenient as possible. If you’re over the age of 50 and haven’t received a colon cancer screening in the last 10 years, schedule your screening by calling the Lima, Ohio, office, or by requesting one online today.
Colon Cancer Screening Q & A
Why should I get a colon cancer screening?
Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the United States (excluding skin cancers). It causes over 50,000 deaths a year.
That statistic is particularly unsettling when you know that colon cancer grows slowly. In fact, in people with an average risk of colon cancer, getting screened for it once a decade is sufficient because this type of cancer is so slow to develop.
When should I get a colon cancer screening?
90% of people who get a colon cancer diagnosis are over the age of 50. That’s why the team at GI Physicians Inc. recommends that you start getting colon cancer screenings once you turn 50.
As mentioned above, if your risk for colon cancer is average, you only need to repeat this screening once a decade. Start at age 50. That way, remembering to repeat your screening every decade is easy because it corresponds with a milestone birthday.
That said, if you have a heightened risk for colon cancer, you should start getting screened earlier, and you should get tested more often. The following risk factors might make you a candidate for earlier, more frequent colon cancer screening:
- Obesity
- A sedentary lifestyle
- A diet high in red meat, processed meat, and fried food
- Smoking
- Regular, heavy alcohol consumption
- Being African-American or Jewish
- Having a family history of colon cancer
Talk with your GI Physicians Inc. provider, and they can personalize a colon cancer screening schedule to you and your specific risk factors.
What happens during colon cancer screening?
The most effective way to screen for colon cancer is to get a colonoscopy. During this exam, your GI Physicians Inc. provider uses a colonoscope, a long, thin tube with a camera attached to the end. By feeding the colonoscope through your rectum into your colon, they can look for polyps.
While polyps don’t always develop into colon cancer, they can. If your provider finds any polyps, they biopsy them for testing and determine if they are cancerous. Catching colon cancer in its early stages gives you a significantly increased chance of effectively treating it.
If you’re 50 or over, don’t wait to protect your health by scheduling your colon cancer screening. Call GI Physicians Inc., or request your screening online today.
