Doctors use five different tests to look for colon cancer in patients; stool testing, barium enema, colonoscopy, virtual colonoscopy, and sigmoidoscopy. Each of test is very different and therefore each have benefits to offer as well as certain drawbacks. It is important to discuss each option of testing with your personal physician before you make a decision.
Colonoscopy: With a colonoscopy a doctor will insert a flexible tube known as a colonoscope up into the anus. A doctor watches his results on a video monitor while they thread the camera through the rectum and all the way to the end of the colon. This test is as unpleasant as it sounds. The good news is you will be sedated during the procedure. The great thing about this test is that doctors have the ability to remove the pre-cancerous polyps growth. This procedure is usually covered by insurance - but can cost $800-$1,200 without it.
Virtual Colonoscopy: This test allows doctors to look inside the colon and rectum without having to stick something inside of you. They use the virtual colonoscopy to look for cancer, polyps, and other abnormalities that could be lurking inside the colon or rectum. This test uses a computer program to create a 3D picture of the large intestine through the use of x-ray images. This test can cost $500-$900.
Sigmoidoscopy: This test is similar to the colonoscopy. The difference is that it lets the doctors check the lower part of the colon. This test is more affordable for most people and usually costs $150-$300 for those without insurance.
Barium Enema: For this test the doctor will fill your colon with barium sulfate. As you hold the liquid inside of you they will take x-rays as you move in different directions. This provides them with many x-rays with a two-dimensional view of your rectum and colon. This procedure can cost $250-$500.
Stool Testing: There are two different types of stool tests. There is the stool DNA test and the occult blood test.
- Stool DNA testing is most recent method that can easily be performed at your doctor’s office or at home. This test will look for traces of DNA material that is discarded by colorectal tumors or polyps. It is the most sensitive and most expensive stool procedure that can cost around $80.
- Fecal occult blood tests search for hidden blood in your stool through the use of a chemical reaction. This test can also be performed in a doctor’s office or at home. The most common fecal occult blood test is EZ Detect that can cost around $10. The colon health Check can cost around $35.
Colon cancer is very real and we must do what we can to spot it before it is too far advanced. We feel that it is important to understand all of the facts concerning this deadly disease and do what you can to prevent it. For more information visit www.coloncancerinformation.org/.
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