Colon Cancer Screening in Thibodaux, LA

Individuals should talk to their GI specialist at Digestive Health Center regarding when they should get a colon cancer screening and what tests are suggested. Any of the tests listed below could be suggested for a colon cancer screening:

• Flexible sigmoidoscopy: A sigmoidoscopy is used to view the inside of the lower colon and rectum. A finger-sized thick tube with a camera (sigmoidoscope) will enter the rectum so we can take images of the inside wall as well as a portion of the colon. It might also be used for taking a biopsy of the polyp or tumor as well as getting rid of some polyps. Keep in mind that a colonoscopy needs to be done to see the whole colon and get rid of all polyps or tumors. This procedure is fairly safe, but there is a slight chance of a bowel tear, bleeding, and infection.

• Colonoscopy: A colonoscope is somewhat like a sigmoidoscope, but it is longer and used to examine the inner wall of the entire colon. The colonoscope is put in through your rectum so your doctor can see the images of the entire colon on the monitor. GI tools can be introduced into the colonoscope to take a biopsy and remove polyps. Sedation is required. There is a small risk of bowel tears, bleeding, and/or infection occurring after the procedure.

• Virtual colonoscopy: Virtual colonoscopy is a computed tomography scan of the colon. We'll have you lie on the table where the CT scanner will take cross-section images of the colon. It is a noninvasive technique and does not require sedation. If we find any abnormalities, a colonoscopy will need to be performed to remove the polyps or tumors.

• Double-contrast barium enema: A thin tube is inserted into the rectum and then barium sulfate (a chalky white liquid) and air are pumped into the colon. The barium suspension will line the outer walls of the colon. X-rays of the colon are then taken to showcase any abnormalities on the inner wall of the colon. If abnormalities are identified, a colonoscopy will be required to extract the tumors or polyps.

• Fecal test: These are completed with a fecal sample. Fecal tests may not provide confirmatory results but might suggest abnormalities in your GI tract, suggesting further tests are needed. A colonoscopy should be performed if your results are positive, indicating cancerous growth in your colon.

Our Thibodaux, LA gastroenterologists conduct three different types of fecal tests:

• Fecal occult blood tests detect blood in the feces not visible to normal eyes through a chemical reaction.
• Fecal immunochemical tests detect blood through a specific immunochemical reaction of protein in your blood and are often able to detect hidden blood.
• Stool DNA tests look for certain abnormal DNA genes from the cells discarded from cancerous outgrowth or polyps in a stool sample.