Colonoscopies can prevent cancer

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Doctors sometimes call colon cancer the silent killer because by the time symptoms show, the cancer is pretty advanced. That's why doctors say prevention is so important and a colonoscopy is the best screening tool.

"It is the most detailed exam of the colon," Dr. Virendra Parikh, a colorectal surgeon with Northeast Indiana Colon and Rectal Surgeons, said. "Not only are you diagnosing pre-cancerous polyps, at the same time you are removing those."

In a colonoscopy, doctors are looking for groups of cells called polyps.

"Cells divide naturally in the colon, but when that process gets out of had and one tries to multiply multiple times, those cells become polyps. It could take seven to ten years for a polyp to develop into cancer," Parikh said.

Dr. Parikh added about 15-20 percent of polyps would turn into cancer, but they can't tell which will and which won't. That's why they will remove any polyps they find during the colonoscopy.

"Colorectal cancer is the best kind of cancer in that there is a window of opportunity to do a screening and remove polyps and prevent cancer," Parikh said.

Wednesday, Harry Smith had a colonoscopy live on "The Early Show" to raise awareness about the importance of having the screenings.

"Every year there are 140,000 - 150,000 new cases in the United States and around 50,000 people die every year. It's the third most common cancer and the second most deadliest and the bests way to treat it is to prevent it on the front end," Parikh said.

Doctors recommend starting colonoscopies at age 50, unless someone is considered high risk. Those people should start screenings at age 40. Most people should have one every seven to ten years. If someone had a lot of polyps or abnormalities in the screening, he or she might need to have colonoscopies more often.

Risks for colon cancer:

* Personal or family history of benign colorectal polyps
* Personal or family history of colorectal cancer
* Personal or family history of inflammatory bowel disease - ulcerataive colitis or Crohn's
* Personal or family history of ovarian, endometrial or breast cancer
* People of African American or Hispanic descent
* Men and women over age 50