Colonoscopy is often recognized as the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening. It allows physicians to have a visual view of the colon to look for polyps. Plus, the surgeon can often remove them before they potentially turn into cancer. Nicholas Harms, MD, a general surgeon, explains why it’s an important procedure you don’t want to skip.
What is the purpose of a colonoscopy?
Colonoscopy is intended to screen for colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is common enough in the general population that it’s worthwhile to check everyone for.
Why is it considered the gold standard when screening for colon cancer?
Colonoscopy is the only tier 1 option for colorectal cancer screening. All of the other options are less sensitive in testing for colorectal cancer. They do nothing to remove polyps or prevent colon cancer. The other options are better than doing nothing but none are as good as getting a colonoscopy. For anyone who asks me what option they ought to go with my answer no matter how you look at it is to have a colonoscopy.
How often should a patient get a colonoscopy?
Follow up after colonoscopy depends on the findings. If we find no polyps at all in an otherwise low-risk or average-risk patient, then typically it would be a 10 year follow up for a colonoscopy. Sometimes we recommend one, three, five, or seven years for a follow up colonoscopy depending on whether or not we found polyps. If we found polyps, what type of polyps they were will affect that recommendation as well.
Are there other options for screening?
All of the other screening options for colorectal cancer are only directed at the low risk population with no symptoms and no family history and no personal history. Still in that low-risk population, the gold standard recommendation for colorectal cancer screening is colonoscopy. Colonoscopy is the gold standard for screening for colorectal cancer in all patient populations.
Colon screening is recommended starting at age 45 for both men and women. Most people will need a colonoscopy once every 10 years. Family history of colorectal cancer or a personal history of precancerous polyps may call for more frequent follow-ups or to determine when you should start screening.
Learn more about scheduling a colonoscopy.
