Up to 90 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be avoided, but sadly, people avoid the available screening tests. Screening detects early cancers and the intestinal growths called polyps that can become cancerous. When detected at an early stage, colorectal cancer is highly curable. My friends who d been screened had war stories to tell, but I decided this was too important to put off. I went for my colon cancer screening.
Colonoscopy is the standard for screening.
However, advances in imaging may soon make colonoscopy for initial screening unnecessary. Virtual colonoscopy combines imaging and computer technologies to produce a three-dimensional image of the entire colon. At this point in its development, virtual colonoscopy is still not accurate enough for use in routine screening, but it is hoped that continued advances in the required scanning and computer technologies will soon make this possible. Knowing that many people hesitate to undergo screening, research is underway to find quicker, non-invasive ways of detecting colorectal cancer at its earliest stages. For example, researchers are developing stool sampling methods able to detect genetic changes that signal the presence of cancer.