​According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States when men and women are considered separately, and the second leading cause when both sexes are combined. It is expected to cause about 50,830 deaths during 2013.

The good news is the death rate from colorectal cancer has been steadily decreasing over the last 20 years. One reason for the decline is that screening techniques have improved and polyps can be found and removed before they develop into cancer.

Colonoscopy is the preferred colorectal cancer prevention test. Screening should begin at age 50 for those at normal risk of the disease, and be repeated every ten years until age 85 if no cancer or polyps are discovered.

Because there is such a long interval between colonoscopy exams, even those who have had a colonoscopy before may be unaware of advances that have made the preventative test easier for patients. Some of those advances include:

• Better sedation. We use Propofal for sedation. Recovery from this drug is more rapid than ones used previously. Within 15 minutes after the procedure most patients are no longer sedated.
• Less prep. Many patients report that the worst part of a colonoscopy is not the actual procedure, but the preparation that cleans out the colon beforehand. The prep is still difficult. You still have to drink the medication that will clean you out, and you will still spend a lot of time in the bathroom. But we now have half-gallon preps, which means you have to drink half as much. And we can get around the bad taste of earlier drinks. You can even put the medicine in Crystal Light.
• Less bloating afterwards. Small puffs of air are used to open the colon during the colonoscopy, which can cause subsequent gas and bloating. We now use carbon dioxide for that, which means no more gas bloat.

All adults should talk to their healthcare provider about colon cancer screening. Family history, previously detected polyps or cancer, and genetic disorders can all increase your chance for developing colon cancer and will likely change your screening recommendations.

Links for more information:

• The Colorectal Cancer Control Program provides free or low-cost colorectal cancer screening tests to some uninsured or underinsured individuals.
• Learn more about colorectal cancer from the American Cancer Society.