When you were a kid, 50 years old seemed old indeed. Now you have the experience and wisdom of age, and even if you still feel young, your wisdom reminds you to be proactive with your health, including undergoing screenings for disease and knowing warning signs. About 58,000 people die from colorectal cancer every year. Take charge of your health by following recommended screening guidelines. A major risk factor for developing colorectal cancer is age, but others include a diet low in fruits and vegetables, a family history of colorectal polyps or cancer, obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use and inflammatory bowel disease. It is proven that regular exercise reduces the risk for developing several cancers, including colorectal cancer.
Guidelines for Screening for Colorectal Polyps and Cancer
For people age 50 and over:
- Yearly digital rectal examination by a physician AND
- Yearly fecal occult blood test
- With Sigmoidoscopy every 5 years
-OR-
- Colonoscopy every 10 years
-OR-
- Double contrast barium enema every 5 years
Definitions:
- A fecal occult blood test is a check for hidden blood in a sample of stool.
- Digital rectal examination is a painless test during which the physician inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel for any abnormal growths.
- A flexible sigmoidoscopy is a visual examination of the lower third of the colon with a slender, non-rigid tube called a sigmoidoscope.
- A colonoscopy is a visual examination of the entire colon with a slender, lighted, flexible tube called a colonoscope.
- A double-contrast barium enema is an x-ray procedure of the entire colon.