Colonoscopy is the "Gold Standard" for Early Cancer Detection and Prevention, Yet More Than Half of All At-Risk Americans Avoid Being Tested
According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year, and more than 56,000 will die of the disease. Experts agree that a large percentage of these diagnoses and deaths could be avoided, simply by undergoing regular colonoscopy screenings starting at age 50. The ACS recently released a report that confirms fewer than half of all Americans over the age of 50 have had a recent test. And their avoidance is taking a toll: roughly three of five colorectal cancer diagnoses are being made at the later stages of the disease, when cure rates range from 10%-67%. If caught in the earliest stage, colorectal cancer is curable in more than 90% of the cases.
New Hyde Park, NY (PRWEB) July 14, 2005 -- According to the American Cancer
Society, nearly 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this
year, and more than 56,000 will die of the disease. Experts agree that a large
percentage of these diagnoses and deaths could be avoided, simply by undergoing
regular colonoscopy screenings starting at age 50.
However, the ACS
recently released a report that confirms fewer than half of all Americans over
the age of 50 have had a recent test. And their avoidance is taking a toll:
roughly three of five colorectal cancer diagnoses are being made at the later
stages of the disease, when cure rates range from 10%-67%. If caught in the
earliest stage, colorectal cancer is curable in more than 90% of the cases.
“The American Cancer Society’s 2005 estimates, if they end up being
accurate, will push colorectal cancer up to the second leading cause of cancer
death in this country,” notes Dr. George Hollenberg, M.D., a leading NY-area
pathologist and founding director of Acupath Laboratories. “And many of these
deaths are unnecessary, because colonoscopy is perhaps the best medical
procedure available for both early detection and prevention of cancer,” he
adds.
That’s because a colonoscopy entails both the detection and removal
of cancerous lesions in the colon or rectum, as well as the prevention of future
cancer through the removal of pre-cancerous polyps. As with many other cancerous
and precancerous conditions, Dr. Hollenberg notes, the staging of the disease is
critical to the implementation and success of a prevention or treatment plan,
and so most doctors will turn to a pathology lab that specializes in
gastroenterology. “Though working behind the scenes, a gastroenterologic
pathologist plays a key role in delivering both an accurate result of testing,
as well as an expertly detailed overall picture of the health of the GI tract,”
Hollenberg explains. He adds that, despite the clear benefits of regular
colonoscopy screenings, many Americans avoid the test due to fear of
complications and anticipated discomfort with the process.
Colonoscopy:
Step-by-Step
According to a number of recent studies1, a traditional
colonoscopy is the “gold standard” for prevention and early diagnosis of
colorectal cancer. It has been shown to be more effective than virtual
colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, barium enema or any type of fecal testing in
detecting cancerous lesions. However, Dr. Hollenberg believes that many people
put off undergoing the test because of negative experiences they have heard of
from friends or family members, because they are anxious about the preparation
process, or because they are unsure of what to expect during the exam.
“Educating people about the process may lead to better compliance, because a
colonoscopy is in truth a very simple, low-risk screening,” Dr. Hollenberg says.
He advises patients to consider these strategies for overcoming their
fears:
- Preparation for the
exam: Patients are often reluctant to schedule a colonoscopy because they do not
want to go through the 24-hour process of eliminating all waste from the colon
beforehand. Dr. Hollenberg explains, "There are some new products on the market
today that can effectively clean the colon for examination, many of which are
more pleasant than the solutions of five or ten years ago. Also, with certain
prep regimens, patients can often have light meals and drinks up to eight hours
before the exam." He advises patients to plan the preparation and exam day when
there is few other family, personal or work commitments, and stick to it.
"Patients should treat this time as a critical commitment to themselves, and
their own personal health – something we as a society simply don’t do enough
of," Dr. Hollenberg says.
-
The day of the exam: Colonoscopy is a relatively quick and painless procedure,
Dr. Hollenberg assures. In many cases, the test can be performed in a same-day
surgery center or outpatient facility, and patients are usually able to go home
within a few hours after the exam. "There are several anesthesia options as
well, so those patients who do not wish to undergo general anesthesia should
discuss these with their doctor," Dr. Hollenberg
notes.
- After the exam:
Most patients can resume their normal activities within 24 hours after their
colonoscopy. "During the first 24 hours after the exam, patients may be asked to
refrain from driving, to rest comfortably, and to eat a lighter diet," Dr.
Hollenberg confirms. "A mild pain reliever may be recommended to ease any
soreness during the first day or so after a colonoscopy, but most patients will
feel just fine within 24 hours," he notes.
-
Follow-up to the exam: After the colonoscopy, any
polyps or lesions that were found and removed will be biopsied by a pathologist,
and your gastroenterologist (the doctor who performs the colonoscopy) will
discuss the results, as well as short- and long-term follow-up strategies. "It
is important to remember that, for most people in a standard risk category, a
colonoscopy only needs to be scheduled every 5-10 years,” Dr. Hollenberg says.
“Most patients who overcome those fears and undergo their first colonoscopy
agree that the entire process is much less intimidating than they expected, and
that it is well worth the peace of mind this test can provide."
1.Journal
of the American Medical Association (Vol. 291, No. 14: 1713-1719); Schoenfeld,
P. The New England Journal of Medicine, May 19, 2005; vol 352: pp 2061-2068;
Rockey, D., The Lancet, online edition, Dec. 17, 2004
About Dr. George
Hollenberg
Dr. George Hollenberg, M.D. is an authority in the fields of
pathology, clinical pathology and dermatopathology with expertise in the areas
of dysplastic nevi, melanoma, prostate and gastrointestinal cancer.
Board-certified in Pathology and Dermatopathology, Dr. Hollenberg is a Fellow of
the College of American Pathologists, The American Society of Dermatopathology
and the AMA. He has published articles on skin, prostate and gastrointestinal
cancer, and is the Consultant in Dermatopathology to The North Shore University
Hospital Center. As the founding director of Acupath Laboratories, Inc., Dr.
Hollenberg supervises the analysis of tens of thousands of biopsies per year,
using the latest cutting-edge technology in histology and immunocytochemistry,
as well as the latest advances in computerized report preparation.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb261568.htm