AARP Hearing Center
Key takeaways
- Discuss colon cancer screening options with your health care provider.
- Colonoscopy is the gold standard, but there are alternatives, such as virtual colonoscopy and stool sample tests.
- Understand your personal risk factors to choose the best screening method for your needs.
Summary
Colonoscopy remains the gold standard for colon cancer screening and prevention, but alternatives exist for those who dread the procedure. Dr. Adam Rosenbluth emphasizes that while a colonoscopy is both diagnostic and preventive, options like virtual colonoscopy, stool sample tests and blood-based tests are available.
These alternatives may be more comfortable, but they often require follow-up colonoscopies if results are positive. Understanding personal risk factors and preferences is key to choosing the best screening method. Alternatives to colonoscopy include virtual colonoscopy via CT scan, stool sample tests that detect cancer DNA in feces, and blood tests that identify precancerous DNA changes. However, these alternatives have their limitations; for example, the preparation for a virtual colonoscopy is similar to the prep for a standard one, and stool sample tests have higher false-positive rates.
Ultimately, the best colon cancer screening is the one you’ll actually do, so it’s crucial to discuss options with your health care provider and weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each. For more advice, check out Dr. Adam’s column.
The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
Full transcript
[0:00:00] I get it. Nobody likes getting a colonoscopy between the
[0:00:04] chalky drink and the bathroom trips. Not to mention the procedure itself.
[0:00:08] It's not fun. Which is why this ask Doctor Adam question
[0:00:12] caught my attention.
[0:00:13] It's time for my colonoscopy and I dread it. I've heard there are alternatives.
[0:00:18] Can I do that instead?
[0:00:20] First, I want to stress that skipping any colon cancer screening should not be an option.
[0:00:26] And I know people try. I've had patients who said to me,
[0:00:30] Doctor Adam, there's no colon cancer in my family.
[0:00:33] Do I really need to go through all this trouble? And the answer is absolutely yes.
[0:00:38] The problem with colon cancer is that while a family history increases your risk,
[0:00:44] anybody can get colon cancer. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer
[0:00:50] and the second deadliest, but caught early, it has a 90% survival rate,
[0:00:55] which is why we doctors push for colonoscopies. A colonoscopy is both a diagnostic and
[0:01:01] preventative tool which you should take starting at age 45 or earlier.
[0:01:06] If there's a family history during the procedure, if a doctor finds a growth within
[0:01:10] your colon or large intestine, they will remove it, these growths are called polyps and even if
[0:01:16] they're not cancerous, now, they do have the potential to turn into cancer later.
[0:01:21] Well, colonoscopy remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of and the prevention of colon
[0:01:28] cancer. I recognize some people for a variety of
[0:01:32] different reasons may not actually be able to have a colonoscopy.
[0:01:35] Here are a few alternatives.
[0:01:38] First, there's something called a virtual colonoscopy that you can get with a CT scan.
[0:01:43] This scan creates a detailed image of your large intestine bowel and rectum.
[0:01:48] Doctors then examine that scan and look for any potential cancer growth.
[0:01:53] Sounds easy enough. But what most people don't realize is that the
[0:01:56] prep for a virtual colonoscopy is similar to the colonoscopy prep.
[0:02:01] You're only getting out of having the anesthesia and the procedure itself.
[0:02:06] Here's another one you may have probably heard of or seen a commercial for stool sample tests.
[0:02:12] You take these at home by obtaining a fecal sample.
[0:02:15] Yes, this is exactly what you think it means.
[0:02:18] Then you'll put it in a package and send it off to a lab for testing.
[0:02:21] But here's the catch stool sample tests are more likely to give both false positives and
[0:02:28] false negatives, creating added stress or even an unreliable sense of security.
[0:02:34] Then there are the blood based tests. You'll go to a clinic,
[0:02:37] get your blood drawn, your blood is tested for any DNA changes.
[0:02:41] That could be the presence of cancer or pre-cancerous cells.
[0:02:44] I know what you're thinking. Doctor Adam, these last few options seem a heck
[0:02:49] of a lot easier and a lot less uncomfortable than a colonoscopy.
[0:02:53] But here's the thing, if you test positive with any of those tests,
[0:02:58] your doctor is going to have you follow up with a colonoscopy anyway to confirm your diagnosis.
[0:03:04] So you're back to the thing. You were dreading.
[0:03:07] I tell my patients you need to consider your personal preferences and weigh your risks,
[0:03:13] especially if you have a pre-existing condition such as inflammatory bowel disease and bottom
[0:03:19] line. The best colon cancer screening is the one
[0:03:23] you'll actually do.
[0:03:24] For more advice like this. Please check out my ask doctor Adam column on aarp.org
