The Different Colon Cancer Tests Explained

A colon cancer test is used to discover if a person has this condition or not. Cancer that occurs in the colon can affect both men and women. The five basic colon cancer tests are - virtual colonoscopy, colonoscopy, barium enema, sigmoidoscopy, and fecal occult blood test. Each of these colon cancer tests has its own advantages as well as downsides, so the best idea is to check with your doctor which particular test will be appropriate for you. In this article, we will review these tests so that you can have an idea of how they work and what to expect.

The colonoscopy test is accurate but unpleasant as it involves the doctor inserting a flexible tube (called a colonoscope) into your anus. On the screen, doctors will watch a video image as the camera is threaded through your rectum, all the way to the end of your colon. Yes, it really does sound unpleasant and definitely not like something you would like to experience. Good news is that you will be sedated during the entire procedure so you won't feel anything and you will be asleep. This colon cancer test is expensive as it goes from $800 - $1,200, but you should check your insurance because you might be covered.

The next generation colon cancer test is the new virtual colonoscopy. This is a modern way of having yourself examined as it doesn't involve any tubes. This colon cancer test relies on a computer model generated from a bunch of X-ray images. It's also cheaper than the standard colonoscopy method as it goes from about $400 - $800.

Sigmoidoscopy epmploys a flexible fiberoptic tube about one half inch (1 cm) in diameter and about two feet long (60-70 cm). A physician or other practitioner examines the lining of the lower half (left side) of the colon. The whole procedure only takes about 10 minutes and no sedation required. The downside is that with this approach, doctors can't get a view of the upper half of the colon and so polyps or cancers in that part of the colon remain undetected since the flexible sigmoidoscopy simply can't reach this area.

The best method is to combine annual fecal occult blood testing and periodic flexible sigmoidoscopy to achieve maximum accuracy compared to having either test done alone. It's a fact that colonoscopy is the most accurate one, but as mentioned earlier, is definitely not the most pleasant one. It's more accurate because it examines the entire colon and the good news is that it can be done once every 10 years! If you are a higher risk patient (aged over 50), it will be better for you to have a colonoscopy colon cancer test.