What You Need to Know about Colonoscopy. Jessica Allegretti, MD, MPH, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, describes colon cancer screening guidelines and what to expect during a colonoscopy, a colon cancer screening exam. A colonoscopy can find lesions before they become problematic and remove them.
Guidelines recommend that colon cancer screening begin at age 50 for the average-risk person. People with a family history of colon cancer or other genetic risk factors may start earlier than age 50 based on physician recommendations. The interval between colonoscopies may vary between three and ten years, depending on what's found during a colonoscopy. Most guidelines recommend screening stop between ages 75 and 85.
Bowel preparation is one the most important parts of a colonoscopy exam. A clean colon helps physicians see and remove polyps more easily.Preparation includes going on a low fiber diet a week in advance of the procedure and consuming a laxative the day before.
During a colonoscopy physicians examine the colon through a long camera with a light. Patients are consciously sedated during the procedure. A colonoscopy generally lasts about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how clean the colon is and how many polyps are found.
At present there is no proven therapy or proven intervention to prevent polyps; however, screening colonoscopies can certainly prevent cancers from happening by detecting and removing polyps.
Learn more about colonoscopy screening at Brigham and Women’s Hospital:
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