How a colon cancer screening from your gastroenterologists in Wasilla, Anchorage, Palmer, and Mat-Su Valley, AK, can protect your health
Colon cancer is a sneaky, serious disease showing little to no symptoms until the disease is far advanced. One of the best ways to catch colon cancer in its early stages is with a colon cancer screening, provided by your gastroenterologist.
The gastroenterologists at Alaska Digestive and Liver Disease offer a wide range of GI services including colon cancer screenings to protect your health. They have several convenient office locations in Wasilla, Anchorage, Palmer, and Mat-Su Valley, AK, to help you.
Colon cancer screening can be done using:
- Blood and stool testing, which involve a lab test of your blood and stool
- A sigmoidoscopy, which examines your small intestine and upper digestive system
- A colonoscopy, which examines your large intestine and lower digestive system
Your GI doctor may recommend a colonoscopy if you:
- Are age 45 or older
- Experience chronic abdominal pain
- Experience frequent diarrhea
- Experience frequent constipation
- Have a history of colon cancer in your family
- Have black, tarry stools which could be a sign of blood in your stool
For a colonoscopy, you will be sedated. A thin, flexible tube known as a colonoscope is inserted into your rectum and guided up into your colon. The tube has a camera at one end which allows your doctor to view your colon.
A colonoscopy is an excellent diagnostic tool to:
- Check the overall health of your digestive system
- Look for abnormal areas of tissue and take a tissue sample for biopsy
- Locate and remove colon polyps and other growths
- Determine the cause of intestinal bleeding or blood in your stool
- Diagnose colon or rectal cancer
Colon cancer screening can help detect colon cancer early, when it is the most treatable and can give you the best outcome.
To find out more about how colon cancer screenings can protect your health, call the gastroenterologists at Alaska Digestive and Liver Disease. You can reach them in Anchorage, AK, by calling (800) 788-7465, Wasilla, AK, at (907) 631-3578, or Eagle River, AK, by calling (800) 788-7465. Call today!