Thanks to regular colon cancer screening, rates of colon cancer are on the decline. To help you stay on top of your health, Nelson Tajong, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Lakeside Gastroenterology in Conroe and The Woodlands, Texas, offers colon cancer screening. To schedule your health screening, call the office nearest you or book an appointment online today.

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What is colon cancer?

Colon cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, begins in the large intestine or rectum. It’s the third most common type of cancer found in men and women in the United States when excluding skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death.

Colon cancer develops from small, noncancerous growths known as colon polyps. During your colon cancer screening, your gastroenterologist looks for these benign growths and removes them. Finding and removing polyps may reduce your risk of developing colon cancer.

Who needs colon cancer screening?

Starting at age 45, adults should undergo routine colon cancer screening. The frequency of your screening depends on the type of screening test you have and your personal medical history, as well as your family medical history.

You may benefit from colon cancer screening at an earlier age if you have a family or personal history of colon cancer or colon polyps. People with an inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, also benefit from colon cancer screening at an earlier age.

What are the types of colon cancer screening tests?

There are many types of colon cancer screening tests; the test best suited for you may depend on your medical history. Your primary care provider and gastroenterologist at Lakeside Gastroenterology can help you determine the best option for you.

Types of colon cancer screening tests include:

  • Stool test
  • Flexible sigmoidoscopy
  • Colonoscopy
  • Virtual colonoscopy

The colonoscopy is considered the “gold standard” colon cancer screening test. During the diagnostic test, your gastroenterologist evaluates the entire length of your large intestine, looking for abnormalities and removing colon polyps when found.

Though the other colon cancer screening tests are less invasive than the colonoscopy, if you have positive results from other screening tests, you need a colonoscopy to further evaluate your colon and confirm or rule out colon cancer.

Lakeside Gastroenterology offers open access colonoscopy, a program that allows you to schedule your colonoscopy colon cancer screening test without a pre-screening office visit. This program helps streamline care and make it more convenient for you to get the health screening you need.

To schedule your colon cancer screening at Lakeside Gastroenterology, call the office or book an appointment online today.