HOUSTON -- Screening regularly for colorectal cancer is critical for
early diagnosis and treatment of the disease, but can be time consuming and a
low health priority for men and women.
Now, patients have access to a program that is helping speed up this process.
The gastroenterology section at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston offers a
unique open-access referral program for screening colonoscopies, which allows
patients to come in to theBaylor Clinic via a referral and complete testing
within 48 hours.
There is no extended wait list to see a physician, and the results are provided
to the patient and referring physician in a very short time.
Colorectal cancer (colon or rectal cancer) is the second leading cause of
cancer-related death among men and women in the United States.
Approximately 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if all
men and women aged 50 years and older were screened, as recommended.
Depending on their risk for the disease, some men and women may need to screen
earlier or more frequently.
Risk factors include family and personal history of colorectal polyps (abnormal
growth) or cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and age.
Screening tests may include a colonoscopy (every 10 years), high-sensitivity
fecal blood test (every year) and flexible sigmoidoscopy (visual examination
with a specialized scope of the lower third of the colon, every five years).
It’s important to talk with your doctor about which tests are best for you.
Most insurance companies will pay for screening tests.
Colorectal cancer is a silent disease, often developing with no symptoms at all.
If they occur, symptoms could include blood in stool, change in bowel habits,
stomach discomfort, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, frequent gas pains, weight
loss, rectal bleeding and constant tiredness.
Dr. Bincy Abraham, Dr. Harold Shelby and the team of gastroenterologists at the
Baylor Clinic encourage men and women to make regular colorectal cancer
screening a high priority for their health.
