COLON CANCER SCREENING

COLON CANCER SCREENING
Saving your own life can be as easy as getting a colonoscopy screening.
Over 50,000 people died from colon cancer in 2010. Over 100,000 new cases of colon cancer were diagnosed that same year. Fortunately, there is a 90% survival rate when the cancer is treated early. Unfortunately, only 40% of colon cancers are found early.
Everyone 50 years old or over should have a colonoscopy if they haven’t had one yet. Most insurers cover this test.
Although the colonoscopy is painless, the 24 hour prep, although painless too, is not fun. The bowel preparation requires the patient to drink approximately 1 gallon of special liquid that cleans all fecal material from the bowel. This allows the colonoscopist a totally clear view of your bowel.
For people found with 1 or 2 small precancerous polyps, the next follow-up colonoscopy should be in 5 years. 3 years follow up is recommended for people will bigger or multiple polyps. For people with benign polyps or none at all, a colonoscopy is recommended every 10 years thereafter.
If you are 50 yrs old and have not had your first colonoscopy yet, do not put it off any longer. If you wait until you have symptoms, such as rectal bleeding, abdominal distension, or abdominal pain, your chances of recovery may be diminished.
As attorneys’ in the business of suing physicians and hospitals that fail in their obligations to patients, we are also mindful of patients’ obligations to themselves. For this reason we have inserted this little column.

J.Douglas Peters
5510 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 875-8080