Colon Cancer Screening Services
Colon cancer screening can find cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Early colon cancer may not have symptoms.
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Early detection of colon cancer saves lives
Colon cancer screening can find cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Early colon cancer may not have symptoms. That’s why it’s so important to have screenings beginning at age 45. When detected early, the survival rate for colorectal cancer is 90%.
A screening colonoscopy is often recommended to detect colon cancer. A colonoscopy helps the physician find and remove growths in the colon, called polyps, which may or may not be cancer. It’s used to look for the cause of problems or changes in your intestines or bowels.
Covenant Health Roane offers colonoscopies as part of our imaging services. Our gastroenterologists (medical specialists who treat disorders of the stomach and intestines) and our care teams focus on your comfort and providing excellent patient care during your screening procedure.
Who Needs Annual Colonoscopy Screenings?
People with an average risk for colon cancer should begin regular screenings at age 45. People with increased risk or high risk of colorectal cancer should start screenings before 45 and may need to be screened more often.
You may be at increased risk if:
- You or a close relative have had colorectal polyps or colorectal cancer.
- You have an inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
- You have a genetic or hereditary syndrome associated with colorectal cancer.
- You have had radiation to the abdomen or pelvic area to treat a prior cancer.
Know the Signs
Colon cancer in the early stages often has no symptoms. But you should ask about a screening if you have signs or symptoms such as:
- Blood in your stool
- Diarrhea, constipation, or a narrowing in the shape of stool
- Other changes to your bowel habits that last more than a few days
- A feeling that your rectum or bowel doesn’t empty completely
- Regular episodes of belly pain, cramps, bloating, or gas
- Unexplained weight loss
- Nausea and vomiting
- Or a feeling of weakness or tiredness
What Happens During a Colonoscopy?
- For a regular screening colonoscopy, your healthcare provider puts a flexible tool with a light and camera into the rectum and colon. It lets the provider look at the lining of your colon and take tiny pieces of tissue to send to a lab. This is called a biopsy. A colonoscopy looks at the entire length of the colon.
- Another test is a virtual colonoscopy. You drink a special liquid, then your healthcare provider places a thin tube into your rectum. The tube is used to inflate your colon with air. You may feel a slight fullness. Then a series of X-rays are taken of the colon. The X-rays are put together by a computer to create a 3-D image of the colon.
Talk with your physician about getting screened for colon cancer.
Need a gastroenterologist or personal physician for your medical care?
Call 865-316-0000 to find the physician that’s perfect for you.
