In fact, a third of them could have been saved had they taken the right medical tests, according to Centers of Disease Control research. The fecal occult blood test detects hidden blood in the stool, which may be an indicator of internal bleeding from a lesion or a polyp. Screening by this test can reduce the death rate by as much as 30 percent, the CDC says. A colonoscopy involves inserting a flexible tube with a camera inside the rectum to find suspicious lesions inside the intestine. Instruments in the tube also can remove suspicious growths for biopsy.
Colon cancer starts in the form of polyps.
It takes a while for the polyp to change into cancer, and it's during that time that the CDC believes it can help save lives. Who Should Be But less than half American men and women over the age of 50 are getting a screening test for colon cancer. CDC scientists believe that a third of the people who die of colon cancer could be saved if they could overcome feelings of embarrassment about colon cancer tests. A family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer. We can certainly detect it early when treatment is much more effective.