Know your options for Colon Cancer Screenings!
1. Fecal occult blood test/ fecal immunochemical test (How often: every year)This test looks for hidden blood in your stool which can be an indication of cancer. It’s a simple and easy test which requires you to take samples of your stool yourself at home and send them to a lab.
2. Colonoscopy (How often: every 10 years)A small camera on the tip of a thin, light, and flexible tube is guided through your large intestine to search for and remove polyps. Sedatives are given to relax the muscles and reduce any discomfort. This simple test takes 30 minutes to an hour to conduct.
3. Flexible sigmoidoscopy (How often: every 5 years)Similar to a colonoscopy, however no sedatives are required for this test.
4. Virtual colonoscopy (How often: every 5 years)This is a type of CT scan that creates a 3D image of the inside of the colon. This simple scan only takes a few minutes.