So, instead of sharing the top five reasons to get a colonoscopy, we have decided to schedule your colorectal cancer screening. We want to make sure that we don’t bore you with another finger-wagging admonishment.
He is aware – he has encountered them all. The primary factors – and the actuality behind each – are disclosed by Daniel Feingold, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.
No one in my family has had colorectal cancer, so I don’t need a screening.
Colorectal cancer ranks as the third most prevalent cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, claiming the lives of approximately 150,000 Americans annually. Additionally, a staggering 85% of these individuals have no familial background of this disease.
My insurance won’t pay for a colonoscopy.
If the prior outcomes were typical, the initial colonoscopy ought to take place when an individual reaches the age of 50, and subsequently every 10 years, for individuals with an average likelihood of developing colon issues and without any identified risk factors. Nearly all insurance policies cover the costs of screening at the appropriate time intervals.
The wait is too long to get an appointment.
Reality: Anyone can call the NewYork-Presbyterian physician referral line at 1.855.CUSURGE to book an appointment. NYP/Columbia offers screening at three convenient locations.
The preparation is too unpleasant. I can’t drink that awful-tasting stuff, and I don’t want to have to spend the evening running to the toilet.
This is half of what was used to clean out before a colonoscopy – patients are given just two liters of a solution called Low Volume Preparation. However, we must admit that the preparation was rather unpleasant. If you had a colonoscopy more than ten years ago, your memory serves you correctly.
Colorectal cancer is so uncommon. Why do we have to go looking for it?
Almost all colorectal cancers begin as small polyps, so it is important to have a colonoscopy in the first place. If a polyp is found during the colonoscopy, it will be removed as it prevents the polyp from turning into cancer.
You may wonder, if colorectal cancer is the most preventable cancer, then why is it the third leading cancer-related cause of death in our country? The simple answer: not enough people are having colonoscopies. According to Dr. Feingold, “Almost all patients who get colorectal cancer do so because they have failed to get screenings. Almost all the colorectal cancers would be prevented if people had their recommended screenings.”