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Screening & Diagnosis

Screening

The best way to prevent Colorectal Cancer is through routine screenings. When discovered early, Colon Cancer is 90% treatable and Rectal Cancer is preventable through colonoscopy screenings. Colorectal Cancer screening may be a form of cancer prevention in addition to early detection. We recommend beginning screenings at the age of 40 if you have an average risk of the disease. There are several tests available to detect cancer early, including:

  • Colonoscopy is the best (and only) way to find and remove signs of cancer early through a painless and quick procedure. If the test is negative, you don’t need another one for 10 years.
  • At-home screening kits, such as ColoGuard, which detect signs of the disease through stool samples. These tests need to be repeated more frequently and vary by test.
  • A sigmoidoscopy, which uses a flexible, lighted tube to look at the interior walls of the rectum and part of the colon, every five years. It requires different bowel prep than a colonoscopy, and you will be awake during the procedure.
  • A high-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (FOBT), which checks for hidden blood in the stool. This test must be completed annually.

Each of these tests have benefits and disadvantages, and for most patients, colonoscopy is the preferred screening option.

If your doctor finds a polyp during a colonoscopy, he can remove it immediately, reducing your risk of cancer. During a colonoscopy, a gastroenterologist uses a lighted instrument called a colonoscope to inspect the entire large intestine (colon and rectum) for abnormal growths, called polyps. A polyp is not cancer, but it can change over time into cancer. If polyps are found, they will be removed during the procedure, reducing your risk. The procedure is painless, as you will receive sedation and are asleep during the 20-minute procedure.

Diagnosis

Holy Cross Health uses advanced technology to understand the specific features of your cancer. We use the most advanced diagnostic technology to diagnose and stage your cancer because we know that the more accurate your diagnosis, the more precise your treatment regimen will be.

Our doctors use a variety of tests to diagnose and determine if this type of cancer has spread (metastasized) to other parts of your body. These tests may also help your doctor determine which treatment will be most effective. In most cases, a biopsy is the only way to make a definitive diagnosis. Your doctor will consider several factors when deciding which diagnostic test is right for you: your age, medical history, type of cancer suspected, symptoms, and previous tests.

Holy Cross Health offers several diagnostic technologies that allow our physicians to effectively diagnose, stage, and plan treatment for a variety of digestive health concerns. These capabilities include:

  • Colonoscopy gives doctors a view of the inner lining of the colon and rectum by inserting a long, flexible tube into the rectum.  This can be used for screening and diagnosis.
  • Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) is used to identify rectal cancers and biopsy masses
  • Anorectal manometry is used to measure pressure in the rectum or anal sphincter.

Holy Cross Health is affiliated with highly skilled gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, and oncologists who can review your health care risks and talk with you about cancer screenings.  In addition to these tests, your doctor may use a blood test, MRI, ultrasound, or other tests.

Once your diagnostic tests are complete, your doctor will review the results. If the tests show that cancer is present, the results of your tests will help your doctor determine the stage of cancer and which treatment options will be most effective. Staging helps us understand how far cancer has spread and ranges from zero to four:

  • Stage 0: Cancer is only found in the mucosa, the innermost lining of the colon.
  • Stage I: Cancer has spread beyond the inner lining but is contained to the colon. It has not spread to lymph nodes.
  • Stage II: Cancer has spread to the outer layer of the colon but has not spread to the lymph nodes.
  • Stage III: Cancer has spread through the colon and to one or more lymph nodes.
  • Stage IV: Cancer has spread to other organs, making it an advanced, metastatic disease.