To accomplish this, we hope to educate you on this illness with practical clinical information so you can offer appropriate recommendations to your patients. This review will be brief and will offer 1 CME Credit upon completion of this review and questionnaire located on the last page . Of interest, the highest incidence of colon cancer in the United States appears to be the white male from Northern Connecticut and Rhode Island. Studies have demonstrated that 7-11 years may elapse before a small adenomatous polyp progresses to an actual adenocarcinoma. Colon cancer progression is dependent upon several genetic factors that will play a larger role in the future of diagnosis and early recognition of patients at greatest risk for colon cancer.
Colon cancer has four main symptom complexes.
They are obstructing, bleeding, local invasional characteristics, and cancer cachexia. Yearly rectal exams beginning at the age of forty and if stools remain negative for occult blood they should undergo a flexible sigmoidoscopy at the age of 50, then repeated every 3-5 years. If at any point the stools are positive for occult blood, or if the flexible sigmoidoscopy reveals an adenomatous polyp, your patient should undergo a colonoscopy. Once an adenomatous polyp has been removed, the colonoscopy should be repeated in three years. Once no polyps are found on exam, then the colonoscopy may be repeated in 5 years.