Reliable colorectal cancer screening method

 

Not only in Russia, but all over the world, statistics show a steady increase in newly diagnosed cases of colon and rectal cancer (colorectal cancer). The effectiveness of its treatment depends on the stage at which the pathology was detected. The high mortality rate in the first year of life after diagnosis is due to the fact that more than 70% of patients with colon cancer and more than 60% of patients with rectal cancer have advanced forms of the disease at the first visit to a doctor. Meanwhile, modern opportunities for early diagnosis — screening studies — make it possible to detect precancerous bowel disease or cancer at an early stage. 

Screening is the active identification of people with cancer risk factors or asymptomatic cancer through special diagnostic tests. It has been established that colorectal cancer most often develops as a result of the degeneration of polyps, benign formations in which the glandular epithelium grows. The larger the size of the polyp, the more likely it is that the polyp can develop into cancer. The number of polyps also affects the prognosis of the disease — single polyps become malignant less often than multiple ones. Therefore, modern doctors adhere to radical tactics in relation to colon polyps: when a polyp is found, it is removed and sent for histological examination, which will determine whether it is benign or malignant. 

Colonoscopy is the most effective method of early diagnosis of colorectal cancer. This is a procedure during which an endoscopist visually assesses the condition of the inner surface of the colon throughout its entire length using a special probe (endoscope), and if a pathological formation is detected, performs a biopsy or removes it. Most patients, as a rule, are not enthusiastic about the doctor's suggestion to undergo a colonoscopy, guided by personal experience or the opinion of friends about how unpleasant any endoscopic probe examination is (гастроскопия, colonoscopy, rectoromanoscopy). Basically, during colonoscopy, patients experience discomfort caused by the colonoscope moving inside the intestine. In addition, there are people for whom this procedure is especially painful due to the inflammatory process in the intestines, the presence of adhesions in the abdominal cavity, or because of the low threshold of pain sensitivity. For them, soreness occurs already at the stage of filling the intestines with air, which is carried out to straighten the intestines in order to ensure better visibility. Therefore, in the EMC Endoscopic Department, where the comfort and safety of patients are taken care of, any endoscopic examination, including colonoscopy, is performed under intravenous sedation. 

Sedation is a state of superficial drug—induced sleep, which is achieved by using drugs with a short period of action.: The patient sleeps during the procedure, but wakes up quickly at the end of the examination. It is psychologically easier for patients to prepare for an examination if they are confident that the procedure will be painless, and it is easier for a doctor to perform manipulations if he knows that he does not cause pain to the patient. As with conventional anesthesia, the question of the possibility of conducting a study under sedation is decided for each patient individually, taking into account contraindications and possible risks. 

Colonoscopy is considered one of the most effective and reliable screening studies in oncology and is included in government cancer prevention programs in many countries. The active position of doctors in the United States regarding the early diagnosis of polyps and the prevention of malignant tumors of the colon and rectum has led to a slowdown in the incidence of colorectal cancer in the United States. Therefore, doctors at the EMC Coloproctology Clinic recommend that all patients over the age of 50 undergo a colonoscopy, even in the absence of symptoms of the disease, since the risk of colon cancer increases significantly from this age on. Patients who experience blood discharge during defecation, abdominal pain, and a feeling of a foreign body in the anus should undergo an examination regardless of age. The use of short—term sedation makes colonoscopy a procedure after which the patient will not have any unpleasant memories — only the confidence that a significant contribution has been made to the prevention of intestinal diseases, and in general to a healthy future.

You can make an appointment for a consultation with the specialists of the EMC Coloproctology Clinic by phone (495) 933 66 55