Colon Cancer Diagnosis

Colon cancer diagnosis is not so difficult if one is aware of and is alert to the symptoms and signs.For some reason, colon cancer has more often plagued men than women. Because most people who have it do not exhibit the classic signs and symptoms until such time that it is too late to do anything, colon cancer also happens to be one of the major causes of death especially in men. Understandably, this is why an annual digital rectal exam is recommended to men who are at the age of 50 and above.

When you, or your doctor, suspect that you have colon cancer, you will be subjected to various screening tests before any diagnostic exam is done. This is to help the doctor in making the colon cancer diagnosis. There are a lot of health problems that have similar signs and symptoms as colon cancer. By having the screening tests before the diagnostic test, the doctor will be able to narrow down on what is causing the symptoms. Once the screening tests point to colon cancer, diagnostic tests are done to further confirm the test results.

Colon cancer diagnosis is done by three tests:

Sigmoidoscopy

This test employs the use of a sigmoidoscope. It is a flexible viewing tube that helps the doctor see the parts of the colon that he wants to check. The tube is inserted into the rectum and into the lower part of the colon called the sigmoid. In this area, the doctor looks for polyps, tumors, and basically anything that is not normally seen in a healthy colon. Despite the fact that a flexible object is inserted into the anus, sigmoidoscopy is not a painful procedure. It may be extremely uncomfortable to some but otherwise, it is a painless procedure. This test however, is not for those who have heart problems, anal problems such as hemorrhoids, and increased intracranial pressures. This is because the procedure itself could either aggravate the situation or brings on new problems. Colon cancer diagnosis is not immediately made on the spot during sigmoidoscopy. If during the visualization the doctor is able to find some form of tissue abnormality, he will take a sample out. This tissue is then treated and placed on glass slides. Later, the tissue is checked under the microscope to see if there are any abnormalities in the cells or the entire tissue sample. If during the microscope exam the doctor is able to see cancerous or basically abnormal cells, then the patient is scheduled for a colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy

Regarded as both a screening and diagnostic procedure, colonoscopy is done by using an instrument called the colonoscope. This tool is more flexible and longer than the sigmoidoscope in that it is made to follow the twists and turns of the colon. Just like the sigmoidoscope, the colonoscope is inserted via the anus and into the colon. The colonoscope is attached to a camera and monitor. This will allow the doctor to clearly view the passages being passed before reaching the colon as well as the insides of the colon as well.

Because it is placed inside the colon, patients are told to empty their bowels before the procedure. Usually, this is done by making you drink a lot of fluids with laxatives. If quick evacuation of stool is needed, then a cleansing enema is done to hasten the removal of the colon contents. Colonoscopy is not done only for colon cancer diagnosis. It is also used to diagnose many other problems such as Crohn’s disease, Polyps, Ulcerative colitis, Diverticulosis and Diverticolitis.

Biopsy

This test is the most final of all tests for colon cancer diagnosis. When a physician does a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy procedure and sees an abnormality in the tissue walls, he will cut a slice of the abnormality. This, then, is taken out and immersed in various chemicals to help preserve the specimen. Once the specimen is preserved, it will then be placed sliced into thin pieces and mounted on to a very clean glass slide. After being mounted on a glass slide, the sample is then stained and read.

Biopsy results always have the final say because it involves the microscopic visualization of the cells in the abnormal tissue. Through biopsy, pathologists are able to see whether the cells have mutated, cancerous, or not. If cancer cells are seen, the pathologist will also be able to identify what stage the cancer is in. In fact, through it, a prognosis can also be made by the doctor.

Colon Cancer Diagnosis