How Often Should You Get a Colonoscopy With Family History

How Does Family History Affect Colonoscopy Frequency and Cost?

As the third-leading crusade of cancer death among men and women in the United States, colon cancer is a prevalent disease that affects 1 in twenty Americans. Information technology is estimated that about 134,490 people volition be diagnosed with colon cancer or rectal cancer this year, and 49,190 people will die of the disease in 2016.

Function of family history
Family history is one of many colon cancer risk factors you cannot change. If yous have a first-caste relative such every bit a parent, sibling or child who has colon cancer, you are at increased adventure for developing the affliction. Your gamble is fifty-fifty higher if the relative was younger than 45 at diagnosis or if you accept multiple relatives with colon cancer. Having a family history of colon cancer can exist linked to genetics, shared environmental factors or both, simply it is estimated that as many every bit 1 in 5 people who develop colon cancer have another family member who is affected likewise.

Inherited syndromes
Between v and 10 percent of people who develop colon cancer have inherited factor defects that can potentially crusade family unit cancer syndromes which atomic number 82 to colon cancer. There are two common inherited syndromes:

• Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which is initiated by a mutation in the APC gene that a person inherits from a parent. In the about mutual type of FAP, hundreds of polyps develop in the colon and rectum before early on adulthood. By the age of 40, almost every affected person develops colon cancer if the colon is not removed to forestall it. FAP accounts for about one percent of all colon cancers.
• Lynch syndrome (hereditary not-polyposis colorectal cancer or HNPCC) increases the risk for polyps (although non nearly equally severe as FAP) and accounts for about ii to four percent of all colon cancers. Caused by an inherited abnormality in the MLH1 or MLH2 gene, Lynch syndrome increases the adventure for colon cancer by as high as 80 percent. Lynch syndrome is as well linked to other cancers of the tummy, modest intestine, pancreas, kidney, brain, ureters (tubes that deport urine from the kidneys to the bladder), and bile duct.

The need for earlier screening
It is piece of cake to come across that colon cancers, especially those that are linked to Lynch syndrome and FAP, are fourth dimension-intensive to treat. If you take a family unit history of polyps or colon cancer, you should be screened before the age of 50, and you need to be screened much more often than someone who is but at average gamble for colon cancer. How soon should yous be screened? If you have a first-degree relative (or relatives) with colon cancer, decrease 10 years from the age your relative was at diagnosis, and that is the age you should brainstorm screening. Subsequently receiving the results of your screening, your md will advise you on a timeline for your next screening.

The expense of colon cancer
Colon cancer is much easier and less expensive to care for when it is in the early on stages. For individuals who are at average take a chance for colon cancer, the disease is largely preventable by staying upwardly-to-date with screening colonoscopies. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends that adults who are at average take chances for colon cancer go a colon screening kickoff at age 50 and continuing until historic period 75.

Having a family unit history of colon cancer tin make surveillance more costly because you need to visit your master care physician and gastroenterologist more often. Being at higher take a chance for colon cancer does not hateful that you will develop colon cancer, but it does hateful that you demand to focus on prevention. A colonoscopy is 1 of the more expensive preventative services covered under the Affordable Care Human action, but it is the all-time screening available for colon cancer.

Information technology is understandable that you may be concerned most unexpected medical expenses, merely preventative care is always less expensive than chronic affliction treatment. Co-ordinate to Fight Colorectal Cancer, the estimated annual national expenditure for colorectal cancer treatment is $14 billion, and inpatient hospital care accounts for 80 percent of this cost. This statistic is proof that prevention is always easier on your purse. Unfortunately, the fear of unexpected price-sharing deters patients from getting screened earlier when handling is more than affordable. Staying current with visits to your primary care physician and gastroenterologist is the best way reduce medical costs and offer early detection and treatment for colon cancer.

Colonoscopy is best
Although the U.S. Preventative Task Force recommendations for colon screening include fecal occult claret testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy, the colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon screening considering of its unique therapeutic and preventative properties. During a colonoscopy, precancerous polyps tin be removed and then that they will non have the opportunity to progress to cancer. This offers the best defence confronting colon cancer, whether or not the disease runs in your family.

If you have a family history of adenomatous polyps or colon cancer, talk with your doctor about the possible need to begin screening before age l. It is also important to tell your close relatives so that they can pass along that data to their doctors and get-go screening at the right historic period. Finally, brand certain that you lot have a master intendance medico and GI specialist with whom you lot feel comfortable and schedule regular visits to ensure that you are getting the intendance your condition requires. Prevention is always better than treatment, then give yourself the gift of quality intendance and expert colon health.

bainbridgenoblat1948.blogspot.com

Source: https://escm-silverspring.com/news/how-does-family-history-affect-colonoscopy-frequency-and-cost

Share this post