Colon Cancer Screening in Baton Rouge, LA

Your GI doctor will work with you to determine the best time to get a colonoscopy and if you should have any other exams along with it. The following tests may be suggested for a colorectal cancer screening:

• Flexible sigmoidoscopy: A sigmoidoscopy is used to view the inner lower colon and rectum. A tube about the size of a finger with a camera attached (sigmoidoscope) is inserted through the rectum so we can take images of the inside wall and some of the colon. This might also be used to remove and biopsy the polyp or tumor. But a colonoscopy needs to be done to see the entire colon and extract all polyps or tumors. This procedure is generally safe, but there is a minimal chance of the bowel tearing, bleeding, and infection.

• Colonoscopy: A colonoscope is somewhat like a sigmoidoscope, but it is longer and is used to view the inside of the entire colon. It is inserted through your rectum, and your doctor can see a full view of the colon on the monitor. Special tools may be passed through the colonoscope to complete the biopsy and remove polyps. Sedation will be applied. There is a minimal chance of bowel tearing, bleeding, and infection due to the procedure.

• Virtual colonoscopy: This is a computed tomography scan of the colon. We'll have you lie on our table, where our CT scanner will take images of your colon. This noninvasive treatment doesn't call for you to be sedated. If we find any abnormalities, a colonoscopy will have to be done to extract the tumors or polyps.

• Double-contrast barium enema: A thin tube is placed into your rectum, and barium sulfate (a white chalky liquid) and air are pumped into the colon. The barium suspension will line the outer walls of your colon. X-ray images of the colon are then taken to showcase any abnormalities on the inner wall of your colon. If any abnormalities are found, a colonoscopy will be required to extract the polyps or tumors.

• Fecal test: Fecal tests are performed with the fecal sample and are totally safe. These tests may not provide confirmatory results but might suggest abnormalities in your gastrointestinal tract, warranting further testing. A colonoscopy should be performed if positive results are shown, indicating cancerous growths in the colon.

Our Baton Rouge, LA gastroenterologists offer three types of fecal tests:

• Fecal occult blood tests detect blood in the feces which isn't visible to normal eyes through a chemical reaction.
• Fecal immunochemical tests detect blood through a specific immunochemical reaction of protein in your blood and are often able to find nonvisible blood.
• Stool DNA tests look for certain abnormal DNA genes in the cells shed from cancerous growths or polyps in your stool sample.