As of: March 9, 2024, 3:57 p.m
By: Natalie Hull-Deichsel
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In many cases, colon cancer could be detected earlier if those affected had their colon examined regularly.
A new prevention technique is promising.
When thinking about a so-called colonoscopy, many Germans initially feel put off because the precaution is associated with pain or even disgust.
Nowadays, an intestinal examination or colonoscopy is basically painless, as today's procedures are particularly gentle and use anesthesia.
What makes the examination of the intestine so important: only with the help of this procedure can possible signs of cancer cells be detected.
Regular colonoscopy screening can help detect cancer early and save lives.
Prevent colon cancer: Prevention is important to recognize warning signs
Regular checkups with colonoscopy can prevent colon cancer.
(Symbolic image) © Jochen Tack/Imago
An unhealthy lifestyle and an unbalanced diet with lots of high-fat foods can weaken intestinal health in the long term.
Diet can promote the development of diseases such as colon cancer.
Therefore, diseases can be prevented through healthy eating or changing your diet.
In addition, regular screening with a colonoscopy every five to ten years is advisable - especially if there is a genetic predisposition to colon cancer in the family.
The earlier colon cancer is detected, the better the chances of recovery.
The tricky thing about colon cancer is that those affected do not notice the cancerous disease for a long time - only when the cancer is often already well advanced.
There are signs that reveal your risk of colon cancer.
Possible symptoms can then be:
Blood in the stool
Increased bloating and flatulence with simultaneous passage of blood, mucus or stool
Changes in bowel habits: constipation and/or diarrhea, pencil-thin stools, frequent urge to defecate
Foul-smelling stool
Persistent, cramping abdominal pain lasting more than a week
Fatigue, weight loss
Hard abdominal surface
Colonoscopy as a precaution against cancer: When is it recommended and reimbursed by health insurance companies?
Every year around 27,000 women and 38,000 men in Germany develop colon cancer.
If the cancer is detected early, there is a good chance that the cancer can be treated.
With appropriate colon cancer prevention, a malignant disease that spreads can even be prevented.
The only and best way to detect possible cancer cells or precursors is through a colonoscopy.
As a rule, all statutory and private health insurance companies cover the costs of the so-called colonoscopy, the medical examination for the early detection of colon cancer.
To ensure that as many people as possible go for colon cancer screening, since July 1, 2019, insured people aged 50 and over have been reminded by their health insurance company by post.
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Colonoscopy as a precaution against cancer: What exactly is done during the examination?
During a colonoscopy, a gastroenterologist usually inserts an endoscope (colonoscope) with a thin tube through the patient's anus in order to examine the entire large intestine, including the rectum, from the inside.
During the examination, if necessary, tissue samples, so-called biopsies, are taken for clarification or, for example, polyps - tumors that form from mucous membranes and can become malignant - are removed.
Thanks to new procedures, 95 percent of lesions can now be detected and removed during colonoscopy.
The so-called capsule colonoscopy also enables screening into the upper or lower end of the intestine.
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Preventing colon cancer: better early detection thanks to modern technology in colonoscopy
Prof. Dr.
med.
Jürgen Pohl, chief physician of gastroenterology and interventional endoscopy at the Asklepios Klinik Altona, explains in an interview to FOCUS Online what opportunities artificial intelligence offers in the field of colonoscopy.
“AI is playing an increasingly important role in medicine.
The programs are based on 'wealth of experience' and the evaluation of huge data sets.
The computers were fed a wealth of information about pathological findings and used this information to independently recognize risky changes.
The doctor checks this at the same time,” explains Dr.
Pohl.
What sets new types of colonoscopy apart from detecting abnormal cells is that they are removed from the inside.
“This relatively new endoscopic procedure is called endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).
Cancers in the colon, as well as the stomach and esophagus, can be removed and replace the operation.”
Colon cancer early detection: Artificial intelligence for better diagnostics
Artificial intelligence represents a milestone in the diagnosis of colon cancer.
Thanks to AI, up to 20 percent more polyps can be detected in the intestines of those affected that might otherwise have been overlooked.
What determines the success of even earlier detection: the experience of the treating gastroenterologist, coupled with an AI system based on a large data set.
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.