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What is Colorectal Cancer Screening?

Screening is looking for colorectal cancer before there are symptoms. Screening is necessary to find cancer early. When colorectal cancer is found early, successful treatment is more likely. About 9 out of 10 people will survive when it is found early. There are different screening tests to choose from. You and your healthcare provider can work together to find the test that works best for you.

Colorectal Cancer Worldwide*:

  • Number 3 cancer
  • Number 3 cause of death from cancer
  • Only 4 out of 10 people are diagnosed early before it has spread outside the colon

Who should be screened for Colorectal Cancer?

Anyone can get colorectal cancer. Today, only 1 out of 7 people are screened in the EU. It is recommended that people of “average-risk” should start screening at age 50. Average-risk* means that there is about a 1 in 20 chance of getting colorectal cancer in your lifetime. This risk increases as you age. If you have risk factors for colorectal cancer, you should talk to your healthcare provider about what screening plan is right for you.

Screening Tests

There are two types of screening tests:

Invasive imaging tests that may find and prevent cancer

  • Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy
  • CT colonography

Non-invasive tests that may tell you about your risk for cancer

  • Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT)
  • Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)
  • Epi proColon 2.0 CE (Septin 9)

It might be hard to decide what test you should have. Before choosing, you should understand the benefits and risks for each test. Talk to your healthcare provider about which test would be best for you.

 

*A person is considered average-risk for colorectal cancer, if none of the following criteria are met:

A close family member  (parent, sibling, child) has had colorectal cancer. The risk is higher when two or more family members have had colorectal cancer. It is also higher if one or more family members has colorectal cancer and is less than age 50.
A history of benign polyps in the colon or rectum or related cancers, or other bowel disease like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC), or Crohn’s disease.
A history of benign polyps in the colon or rectum or related cancers, or other bowel disease like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC), or Crohn’s disease.
The presence of inherited diseases like Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer) or FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis)
The presence of other inherited diseases include Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome, MYH-Associated Polyposis (MAP), Gardner’s syndrome, Turcot’s (or Crail’s) syndrome, Cowden’s syndrome, Juvenile Polyposis, Cronkhite-Canada syndrome, Neurofibromatosis, or Familial Hyperplastic Polyposis.