In their new colorectal screening guidelines, the American College of Gastroenterology, says that colonoscopy, beginning at age 50 and performed every 10 years, is the “preferred” screening test for colorectal cancer.  They recommend that physicians first offer this test alone rather than a menu of options.

However, if patients are not willing to have a colonoscopy, they support offering:

• Preferably. a cancer prevention test: Either flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 to 10 years  or CT colonography every 5 years.
• A test primarily for cancer detection: Preferred test is fecal immunohistochemical test for blood (FIT).

They further recommend that African Americans begin testing at 45 rather than 50. Read the rest of this entry »

Registration for the Fourth Annual SCOPE Fun Run is now open.  SCOPE (Sprint for Colorectal Oncology and Prevention) takes place March 28th in Houston.

Sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, SCOPE features both a 5K run and a 1K Kid’s Run.  Special events for cancer survivors will also be held that day. Read the rest of this entry »

Stories this week:

• Research that finds an effective prep to be sure the right side of the colon is clean for colonoscopy.
• When doctors discuss end of issues with cancer patients, costs are reduced and quality of death improved.
• The NCI warns of dangers of colon hydrotherapy and cannot find any evidence that is prevents colon cancer.
• William Holman gave into his wife’s insistence that he be screened for colorectal cancer, and the test saved his life by finding an early colon cancer.  After surgery, his chances of complete recovery are high.

Read the rest of this entry »

Send a birthday reminder to a friend turning fifty — or older — letting them know that colorectal cancer screening can save their life.

Free musical online cards feature Peter and Polly Polyp and are personalized with your name, your friend’s name, and any special message that you want to send.

Friends don’t let friends forget about polyps!

Five years after a colonoscopy found and removed polyps, one in ten patients will have a new advanced polyp and six in every thousand will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

Pooling studies that followed up nearly 10,000 men and women who had a polyp removed during a colonoscopy (polypectomy), researchers found 1,082 with a later advanced adenoma and 58 with colorectal cancer.  Median follow-up time was 47 months. Read the rest of this entry »