Blood in the stool? All the tests you need to know - voila! health

2022-08-18T07:06:10.445Z

Colon cancer is the second most common cancer, and it is very unpleasant. Fortunately, screening tests for early detection and awareness of symptoms can save lives. Here is everything you must know

Blood in the stool?
All the tests you need to know

Colon cancer is the second most common cancer in Israel, and it is very unpleasant.

Fortunately, screening tests for early detection and awareness of symptoms can save lives.

We have collected everything you simply must know

Dr. Liora Barzeg Peru

08/18/2022

Thursday, August 18, 2022, 09:51

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Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the world, and is more common in developed countries, probably because of the processed diet we consume.

In Israel it is actually the second most common cancer.

Just about two weeks ago we published a study describing the relationship between the consumption of preservatives, nitrates, and the formation of this cancer.

As we have written many times, when it comes to cancer - early detection saves lives.

Detection at an early stage makes it possible to cure up to 90 percent of different types of cancer.

Except for the cancerous tumors we know about, there are screening tests that are considered effective and sensitive for early detection, including breast cancer, skin cancer, cervical cancer, and luckily for colon cancer as well.

What signs require examination?

The suspicious symptoms of colon cancer are a relatively sudden appearance of changes in stools, such as intermittent diarrhea and constipation, abdominal discomfort - such as cramps, gas and pain - a feeling of incomplete emptying and abdominal swelling.

I just have a question: is blood in the stool necessarily dangerous?

To the full article

One of the most suspicious signs of colon cancer, including cancers along the digestive tract, is blood in the stool.

The blood can come from the upper digestive system, such as the stomach or upper small intestine, and then usually there will be clotted blood, which will be manifested in black stools and sometimes accompanied by a metallic smell, or from the lower digestive system, such as the colon and rectum, and then appear in the form of fresh blood.

It is important to remember that not all blood in the stool means cancer, there are much simpler diseases such as hemorrhoids that can cause bleeding, but in any case it is important to check it.

Who needs a test for the early detection of colon cancer?

People with an increased risk of developing cancer are examined relatively frequently and from a young age.

Most of the population is defined as medium risk, that is, without an increased risk of developing the disease.

The American National Cancer Society defines an average risk of developing colon cancer as people aged 45 and older, without a personal history of polyps or cancer in the past, without inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's or colitis), without a family history of colon cancer or a syndrome with a family risk of developing colon cancer .

From the age of 50, you should start checking.

Illustration of colon cancer (photo: ShutterStock)

In these people, the recommendation is to perform a screening test.

The survey tests are conducted with a frequency that depends on the level of risk, the method of the test and the findings, from once a year to once every five years.

Polyps are often found in the screening tests, which are removed.

These polyps are actually a pre-cancerous finding, which over time, without the test, could have developed into a malignant disease.

What screening tests are available today?

Starting at the age of 50, the entire population of Israel is invited to perform a

fecal occult blood

test , in which a simple sample is tested for residual bleeding along the entire digestive tract, or alternatively , a

colonoscopy

, in which a camera is inserted from the ileum to the final small intestine, through which the large intestine is observed.

This is a not very pleasant test, which requires advance preparation, but it is very effective.

For those who are afraid of colonoscopy, there is another option for a screening test approved by the FDA - swallowing a capsule that covers the entire digestive tract, not just the large intestine.

Unfortunately, also a test, called

an endoscopic capsule

, is not particularly pleasant and has its drawbacks.

First, it is not in the survey recommendations of the American National Cancer Society, and is not included in the Israeli health basket.

Second, in the event that there is any finding, such as a polyp or other suspicious finding, it cannot be removed and a pathological sample sent as in a colonoscopy.

Also, the test requires preparation similar to that of a colonoscopy and connection to a cumbersome monitor for several days until the capsule is expelled in the feces.

In conclusion, it is important to emphasize that adherence to screening tests is very important for the health of the population and for early detection, but this is not the only thing you need to adhere to.

A healthy lifestyle prevents the appearance of cancer in general, and it includes physical activity, a healthy diet in which you eat more vegetables and fruits and less processed foods and sugars, stopping smoking, and reducing alcohol and stressful factors in life.