Screening tests can reduce mortality by allowing doctors to find tumors early before they’ve had a chance to grow and spread.
Doctors recommend regular screening beginning at age 50, but advise people to start earlier if they have one of the following risk factors:
- Personal or family history of colorectal cancer polyps or colorectal cancer
- Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes
- Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease or ulcerative colitis
- A genetic syndrome such as Lynch syndrome, Turcot syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
If you feel you may be at increased risk, your physician can offer advice and determine the right screening schedule based on your personal history.
Speak with your physician if you have any of these symptoms:
- Blood in your stool
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Abdominal pain
- Significant weight loss
The only way to know is with a doctor’s exam. Please contact our facility at 713-621-5010 to learn more about scheduling a colonoscopy with one of our board-certified specialists.