A Simple Test can Save your Life

at 11:55AM, 1:55PM, and 3:55PM

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 93,000 new cases of colon cancer and 36,000 cases of rectal cancer will be detected this year. Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in this country. Yet despite these grim statistics, early detection is possible through a very simple test you can do at home. Join Suzanne and Dr. Marie Savard as they discuss the importance and ease of administering your own Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) to detect colorectal cancer.

The purpose of doing the Fecal Occult Blood Test is to determine if there is hidden blood in your stool, which can be the result of polyps in your colon. Polyps take five to ten years to become cancerous, so if you catch them early, you will have much better odds in your treatment.

You can buy an FOBT kit at your local pharmacy. Read the directions carefully and be fully prepared for the test. Avoid eating red meats and more than 250 mg of Vitamin C three days prior to taking the test, and stay away from non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like aspirin and ibuprofen for seven days prior. Do not do the test while you are menstruating or suffering from bleeding hemorrhoids.

The test kit includes everything you will need, including special sticks to retrieve your stool sample. If you prefer and the directions allow, you can wear rubber gloves to get a sample or take some from the toilet paper. Some kits have a special paper that floats on top of the water to catch the stool in the commode. Regardless of the retrieval method, you will put the samples on a slide or card three days in a row and bring these to your physician or lab for the actual testing.

The FOBT is just one way to detect colon cancer early. Here are the American Cancer Society's Guidelines For the Early Detection of Colon or Rectal Cancer:

For people of average risk with no symptoms, beginning at age 50, both men and women should follow one of the five screening options below:

• Yearly fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years*
• Yearly fecal occult blood test plus flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years* (Of the three options above, the American Cancer Society prefers yearly FOBT and flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years)
• Double contrast barium enema every 5 years*
• Colonoscopy every 10 years*

*A digital rectal examination (DRE) should be performed at the time of each screening sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy or barium enema.

People should begin screening earlier and have it more often if they have any of these risk factors:

• A strong family history (mother, father, sisters, or brothers) of colon or rectal cancer or polyps.
• A family history of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes.
• A personal history of colon or rectal cancer or chronic inflammatory bowel disease.