Colorectal Cancer Tests and Diagnosis | Medify

Early Detection of Colorectal Cancer Produces the Best Outcomes

Colorectal cancer typically develops from precancerous polyps (abnormal growths) in the colon or rectum. Screening tests can find precancerous polyps early so doctors can remove before they turn into cancer.

Early detection allows for early treatment, which leads to the best outcomes. You should start screening for colorectal cancer at age 50 and continue at regular intervals, depending on your risk factors for the disease. Your doctor may recommend that you get tested before age 50 if you or a close relative have had polyps, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a genetic syndrome or colorectal cancer itself.

If screening indicates that you might have colon cancer, your doctor will recommend one or more of the following tests or procedures:

• Blood Test: Two different types of fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) check for hidden blood in the stool: guaiac FOBT, which relies on a chemical reaction, and immunochemical FOBT, which uses antibodies to detect hemoglobin.
• Sigmoidoscopy: A doctor looks at the rectum and lower colon using a fiber optic camera connected to a lighted, flexible tube called a sigmoidoscope. The scope transmits images of the large intestine to an eyepiece or video screen.
• Colonoscopy: This procedure allows doctors to examine the rectum and entire colon using a lighted instrument called a colonoscope. Colonoscopy can show precancerous and cancerous growths that sigmoidoscopy might miss, and doctors can biopsy or remove these growths during the procedure.
• Virtual colonoscopy: During this test, images of the large intestine are taken using computerized tomography (CT) or, less often, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A computer puts the images together to create an animated, three-dimensional view of the inside of the large intestine.
• Double contrast barium enema (DCBE): X-rays of the colon and rectum are taken after liquid containing barium, along with air, are put into the rectum. The barium solution outlines the colon and rectum on the x-ray and helps show small abnormalities.

For patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer, doctors will next determine the stage of the disease. The four stages of colorectal cancer are as follows:

• Stage I: The cancer has grown through the thin, smooth muscle layers of the colon or rectum or into the thick muscle layer that contracts, forcing the contents of the intestine to move along.
• Stage II: The cancer has grown through the wall of the colon or rectum, but it has not yet spread to nearby tissues or organs.
• Stage III: The cancer has grown through the muscle layers of the colon or rectum and spread to four to six nearby lymph nodes; it has not spread to distant sites.
• Stage IV: The cancer has spread to distant sites, such as the liver or lungs.

Learn More About Colorectal Cancer

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Source: https://www.medify.com/blog/colorectal-cancer-tests-and-diagnosis/

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