Why a Colonoscopy is the Best Option
Colon cancer screenings, or colonoscopies, have been proven and tested to be true lifesavers. A Colonoscopy is not just a diagnostic screening procedure because it can actually prevent the possibility of cancer development by being able to remove polyps during the procedure. Polyps can be either benign or malignant. When it is benign, it means that the polyps are not cancerous. When it is malignant, it is considered cancerous and can develop into cancer. During a colonoscopy screening, any type of polyp that is detected will be removed and tested for a biopsy to learn if they are malignant or benign.
Today, even with the extreme efforts of most medical communities across the country to spread colon cancer awareness, at least half the American population—of ages 50 and above—are still not committing to going through with a colonoscopy screening. Some experts suggest that perhaps the overemphasis of colonoscopy screening as the standard procedure for colon cancer screenings may just be the reason why this screening lags behind other diagnostic tests for every other kind of cancer.
From the media to different kinds of organizations, colonoscopy screenings have always been promoted as the standard and, currently, the best screening for colon cancer to date. Even medical doctors across the country no longer discuss any other screening options with their patients when it comes to colon cancer screening. This may be discouraging to some citizens in committing to go through the screening.
A colonoscopy screening is not a procedure one can go through with ease. Colonoscopy preparation is probably one of the most tedious parts of the procedure, where the patient will have to undergo a clear, liquid diet and take some exceptionally strong laxatives—the fluid intake is to clean out the intestines. There are patients who are actually scared of the procedure, while others feel embarrassed. Some worry over possible complications and, the most common excuse of all, is the financial demands of the procedure. Colonoscopy screenings are quite expensive. Not a lot of people can afford to go through it. However, some medical communities offer free colonoscopy screenings annually for those who cannot afford the procedure.
According to a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. James Allison, if only primary care providers would offer other screening options to patients, there would be a variety of screening options available. Somehow there is a notion that other colon cancer screening procedures are ineffective at this time. Colonoscopy screenings however have saved thousands of lives in the U.S. The instances of colon cancer have decreased over the years through colonoscopies. To date, it remains to be the most efficient colon cancer screening procedure and this is the reason why medical doctors suggest for patients to take it rather than other screening options.
