Why do I need a colonoscopy?

Screening for colorectal cancer is important for your health. It is recommended that people over 50, particularly those with colon disease in their family history, get screened, however some people just don’t bother while others seem to test way too often. It is important to know when and why to test, and that’s what I’ll look at in this post.

Colorectal cancer is becoming increasingly common and can cause death, but if it is caught early the survival rate increases about 90 per cent. Screening is very important as a diagnostic tool.

A colonoscopy is a procedure that diagnoses problems in the colon, which is the large bowel or large intestine. A camera in a tube, which is about the thickness of a finger and flexible, is inserted into the colon. Through this tube, the doctor can examine the lining of the bowel much better than from an x-ray.

Colonoscopies are invasive procedures, even though the risks are small. There can be bleeding, bowel perforations or other complications, especially if you are older. The advantage, however, is that during a colonoscopy the doctor can take a biopsy (a piece of tissue to examine in the lab) and remove precancerous polyps, if they are there, before they grow and spread.

Polyps are small growths on the lining of the bowel. They don’t need to be cancerous. Removal of them is called a polypectomy and is done by putting a wire through the instrument and severing the polyp at the base with a small, painless electric current. If polyps are removed early enough, they don’t become cancerous, so this procedure is a way of protecting against colon cancer. Usually, after a couple of days patients can begin to follow a normal routine.

Some doctors recommend that it is wise to repeat colonoscopies every five years in patients with previous exposure to cancer; others feel the test is needed more frequently. Knowing when to test becomes a difficult decision, and one that needs to be made by a specialist.

The tests need to be performed if a patient has problems such as stomach pain or blood in their stools; if there is a history of colorectal cancer in the family; or if the person has personally experienced pre-cancerous growths. If patients are younger, then this invasive procedure can be performed more easily and more frequently. It is a matter of safety that colonoscopies are carried out if a direct relative has had cancer.

Apart from these reasons for having a colonoscopy, elderly people are often best not put through the strain of having one done. In the US, tests are performed up to the age of 85, only because after that age there is a risk that older people will be at greater risk from the complications that can occur from the screens themselves. What is astounding though is that the average age for colon cancer diagnosis is usually somewhere around the age of 70.

Still, the matter of how often to test and when is dependent on the doctor and how he or she chooses to practice. Often a colonoscopy is done because the doctor concerned has difficulty in performing visual examinations of the colon or worries he or she may overlook polyps, so it becomes a decision of safety for the patient. Patients need to ensure that the procedure is necessary and is not simply being performed as a standard practice by the doctor concerned.

If you are having problems with your digestion and have unexplained weight-loss, feel that your bowel does not empty completely, have diarrhoea or constipation, and/or have blood in your stool, then you need to consult your doctor and follow instructions as to what tests you need. We can sit here and debate whether these tests are a necessity or not, even if you do follow a policy of herbs and natural therapies, it is imperative that you know for sure what is happening with your health. A doctor’s screenings for bowel problems, with the kit and colonoscopies, can often help you make decisions that will deter future illness.