Colon Cancer Often Has Silent Symptoms — Here’s What to Watch For

Colon Cancer Screening

It is recommended to start screening for colorectal cancer before 45 years old.  It should be done earlier if you have one of the following positive findings:

• A personal or family history of colorectal cancer.
• History of polyps with an abnormal or suspicious histology pattern.
• Inflammatory bowel diseases.
• If you underwent radiation to your abdomen as a treatment for past cancer.

There are two different types of screening tests to rule out colon cancer:

Stool-based tests

It relies on checking the stools to check for any histological or biochemical sign of cancer. It is not invasive but needs to be performed more often to make it accurate. The lab will test your stool sample for hidden blood or perform a stool DNA test to look for the DNA section of cancer cells.

Structural exams

This test is performed by visualizing the structure of the rectum and the colon via computed tomography or colonoscopy. If you have a positive or suspicious result in your stool-based tests or in your computed tomography, colonoscopy is the most reliable screening tool for follow-ups.