Orlando, FL, Physicians Provide Colon Cancer Screening
About Colon Cancer Screenings in Orlando
A colon cancer screening usually includes two parts: a consultation with a gastroenterologist followed by a colonoscopy to look in the patient’s colon and rectum.
Who should have a colonoscopy performed?
Any person over the age of 50 should have a colonoscopy performed every ten years. If a person has a family history of colon cancer or polyps, he or she should have a colonoscopy every five years beginning at age 40.
What are colon polyps?
Colon polyps are growths of tissue inside the colon. Sometimes they lead to cancer. Usually, though, polyps are not cancerous. A colonoscopy will identify polyps while they are still small and easily treatable.
What to expect in a colonoscopy
The bowels must be completely empty for a successful colonoscopy, so before the procedure, patients prepare by taking certain pills or drinking a special cleansing liquid. During the procedure, patients are sedated. A technician inserts a thin colonoscope into the anus and rectum; this travels up to the large intestine. A camera in the colonoscope takes pictures of the colon; the doctor can see the images on a monitor. The colonoscope contains small instruments that can remove polyps or scrape tissue for later examination. A colonoscopy lasts approximately half an hour.
Call your doctor at Orlando Gastroenterology to schedule your colonoscopy.
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About Colon Cancer Screenings in Orlando
A colon cancer screening usually includes two parts: a consultation with a gastroenterologist followed by a colonoscopy to look in the patient’s colon and rectum.
Who should have a colonoscopy performed?
Any person over the age of 50 should have a colonoscopy performed every ten years. If a person has a family history of colon cancer or polyps, he or she should have a colonoscopy every five years beginning at age 40.
What are colon polyps?
Colon polyps are growths of tissue inside the colon. Sometimes they lead to cancer. Usually, though, polyps are not cancerous. A colonoscopy will identify polyps while they are still small and easily treatable.
What to expect in a colonoscopy
The bowels must be completely empty for a successful colonoscopy, so before the procedure, patients prepare by taking certain pills or drinking a special cleansing liquid. During the procedure, patients are sedated. A technician inserts a thin colonoscope into the anus and rectum; this travels up to the large intestine. A camera in the colonoscope takes pictures of the colon; the doctor can see the images on a monitor. The colonoscope contains small instruments that can remove polyps or scrape tissue for later examination. A colonoscopy lasts approximately half an hour.
Call your doctor at Orlando Gastroenterology to schedule your colonoscopy.