Recommended screening is a highly crucial part of preventative care. Colorectal cancer is one thing that all seniors need to be screened for. March is devoted to making people aware of this disease. It is the 2nd major cause of deaths on account of cancers that impact on both sexes, and 90% of persons diagnosed with colon cancer were over 50. It is proposed that screening starts at age 50and progresses until age 75. There are several tests that should be carried out regularly to examine for colon cancer.
A colonoscopy really should be done once almost every ten years. During this assessment, the large and small bowels are viewed with a small camera. This is done to find and take out any polyps and is necessary to early cancer diagnosis. The first colonoscopy should be performed at age fifty.
While a colonoscopy allows for the exam of the entire four to five feet of the colon, a flexible sigmoidoscopy permits the sigmoid colon or the final two feet to be viewed. A colonoscopy is a favored check over a sigmoidoscopy; however, a sigmoidoscopy is shorter. A sigmoidoscopy should be completed every five years.
A fecal occult blood test is a procedure of colorectal cancer screening that should be completed yearly. This will involve a stool sample to be forwarded off to a lab for testing. Chemicals are used to detect blood that cannot be seen. If blood is identified in the stool, further testing is needed. A patient may be referred for a colonoscopy.
A double contrast barium enema may be used every five years for added testing. This is a technique in which an X-ray of the colon is obtained. The barium used in this procedure highlights the large intestine. It is at the same time delivered to expand the colon, allowing for clearer images. The barium will pass out of the body with stools.
Everyone between the ages of fifty and seventy-five should have standard testing for colorectal cancer. Tests should be started sooner with family history of colorectal cancer or with a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. Testing is also recommended in some seniors who are over the age of seventy-five. Talk to your primary care physician about colorectal cancer screening today.
For all of your senior care needs in Turnerville NJ and the surrounding areas call and talk to us at Home to Stay Healthcare Solutions at either our Cherry Hill office at (856) 321-1500 OR our Red Bank office at (732) 820-9611.
