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Colorectal cancer arises from the colon or rectum. This is the most common cancer in Singapore and the third most common cancer worldwide Below are some important questions and answers that you should be familiar with.
Why Screen for Colorectal Cancer?
Not all cancers can be easily prevented or detected through regular screening. The good news is that for colorectal cancer, since they start from small non-cancerous polyps, detecting and removing these polyps can potentially prevent the cancer from forming.
You should come for a Colonoscopy by the age of 45 years old or 10 years before the first cancer in the family, whichever is earlier. If you have any symptoms like pain or bleeding or loss of weight or change in bowel habits, you should not wait and at least come for a consultation with our doctor, regardless of your age.
How Do We Screen for Colorectal Cancer?
Colonoscopy is the Gold Standard for screening.
Not only can it remove polyps and prevent the cancer, even detecting an early cancer may still you can be cured. This is not the case for most other cancers.
The key is for people to come forward for screening even when they do not show any symptoms.
This is because patients are often well (e.g. with no pain or bleeding or loss of weight) when they only have polyps or even in the early stages of cancer. Furthermore, we are seeing more young colorectal cancer patients, presenting even in their early 40s and 30s! It is never too early to start, so come speak to our doctor.
Removing a polyp during Colonoscopy
What is a Colonoscopy?
This is the best screening test for colorectal cancer.
During the colonoscopy, you are comfortably asleep throughout. Our doctor is a trained expert in this field and performs the procedure safely, by inserting a thin flexible tube which is called a colonoscope into the anus. Our doctor carefully examines the inner lining of the colon and rectum and if there are any polyps or tumours, the doctor will sample/biopsy them immediately and send them for further testing. The colonoscope contains a high-definition video camera and fiber optic lights that will take videos and pictures of what our doctor sees.
Our team will give you instructions on how to prepare for the colonoscopy including the food to avoid before the scope. You do not need to stay overnight in the hospital and will be back to work the very next day.
What About Other Screening Tests?
Other tests include a stool test called FIT (Faecal Immuno-histochemical Test). This is for detecting invisible traces of blood in the stool, but this is not as accurate and cannot remove polyps or tumours. Furthermore, if the FIT is positive, you will still be recommended to do a colonoscopy.
So, remember, screening can save your life!