Featuring Dr. Duncan Miller, BSc, MD

Duration: 1 minute, 47 seconds

As far as screening for colon cancer goes, it really depends on your family history as to when you start screening for it.

So, for example, if you have a mother, or a father, or a sibling that has been diagnosed with colon cancer, you really wanna start screening about ten years before their age of diagnosis. Similarly, if you have symptoms such as pain in your abdomen, change in your bowel habits, or bleeding from your rectum, you wanna start screening then rather than waiting later.

But your average person, 50 years of age is an appropriate time. Usually, we do one of two things. I either collect stool samples to screen for microscopic amounts of blood, which is s telltale sign of colon cancer, or the gold standard, which is a colonoscopy.

Most people view a colonoscopy as something, you know, to be faced with dread, but in actuality, the preparation for the procedure is far worse than the procedure itself, which is actually quite comfortable and usually done in a hospital setting.

So, all in all, colon cancer being the second most common type of cancer death, is really an easily preventable disease by screening regularly and taking step to prevent it. If you have any concerns at all, you should be in touch with your primary healthcare provider and ask for more specific information.

Just remember that treatment for your condition will vary with the individual and the condition they may have, so always consult your primary healthcare provider for more information.

Presenter: Dr. Duncan Miller, Family Doctor, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Family Doctor