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FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2020 (HealthDay News)<\/p>\n
Many Americans at high risk for colon cancer<\/a> don’t know how often they need to have a screening colonoscopy<\/a>, researchers say.<\/p>\n The report follows the recent death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who died Aug. 28 at age 43 after a private, four-year battle with colon cancer<\/a>. Boseman was best known for playing the superhero Black Panther.<\/p>\n Colon cancer<\/a> is the third most common cause of cancer<\/a> death in the United States. Because people with advanced polyps have triple the risk of developing cancer<\/a>, it’s generally recommended that they have a colonoscopy<\/a> every three years.<\/p>\n But many doctors leave it to patients to know when they’re due for screening.<\/p>\n To gauge the knowledge of these high-risk patients, Florida Atlantic University researchers analyzed interviews from 84 people, aged 40 to 91, with advanced colorectal<\/a> polyps.<\/p>\n Of that group, nearly 29% weren’t aware of the need for or timing of a repeat colonoscopy. Of these, about 17% were unaware of the recommended three-year interval between tests, and 12% didn’t know that a follow-up surveillance colonoscopy was needed.<\/p>\n The study was recently published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Digestive Systems<\/i>.<\/p>\n “Our data demonstrate a lack of knowledge of patients with biopsy-proven advanced colorectal<\/a> polyps about their need for repeat colonoscopy, as well as the proper surveillance interval,” said study co-author Dr. Lawrence Fiedler. He’s a gastroenterologist<\/a> and an affiliate associate professor in the College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University, in Boca Raton.<\/p>\n “For patients with biopsy-proven advanced colorectal polyps, the interval for colonoscopy is about three years. Our data raise a challenge for us to rely on more objective data than self-reports,” Fiedler said in a university news release.<\/p>\n “Clinicians should have the ability and willingness to share their objective findings with all clinical colleagues involved in the care of the patient,” he added.<\/p>\n Fiedler said these efforts should include younger patients, such as Boseman.<\/p>\n Other types of screening for colon cancer<\/a> include fecal immune testing, multi-targeted stool<\/a> DNA testing and flexible sigmoidoscopy<\/a>.<\/p>\n — Robert Preidt<\/p>\n![\"MedicalNews\"](\"https:\/\/images.medicinenet.com\/images\/HealthDay\/healthday.png\")
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