Colorectal screening available at Memorial Hermann Cancer Center-The Woodlands

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Memorial Hermann Cancer Center-The Woodlands is reminding everyone that March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The Center, located off I-45 at exit 77, offers colorectal screening that can easily be set up online, over the phone or in person.

Colorectal cancer can be a devastating disease but one that can be treated when detected early, and sometimes prevented through regular screening. Of cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and the third most common cancer in men and in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Screening tests can find colorectal cancers at an early stage, when treatment is the most successful. These tests can also help prevent some cancers by allowing doctors to find and remove polyps that might become cancerous. Screening should begin at age 50, according to the American Cancer Society.

“Proactively scheduling and undergoing a colorectal screening can be vital to preventing and battling colorectal cancer,” said Mark Pidala, M.D., a colorectal surgeon affiliated with the Memorial Hermann Cancer Center. “The earlier a problem is detected, the sooner a solution can be found. It is very important that people take action and set up a screening.”

There are three ways to schedule a colorectal screening at Memorial Hermann Cancer Center:


Online

By phone: (713) 897-5655

In person:



Memorial Hermann Cancer Center

920 Medical Plaza Dr. #100

Shenandoah, TX 77380



The American Cancer Society recommends the following tests for men and women of average risk.


Colonoscopies - done every 10 years, beginning at age 50. This procedure looks inside the rectum and colon for polyps, abnormal areas, or cancer.

Stool blood tests - Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT): Annually, beginning at age 50. This test checks stool (solid waste) for blood that can only be seen with a microscope.

Barium enema: Every five years, beginning at age 50. This is a series of X-rays of the lower gastrointestinal tract. A liquid that contains barium coats the lower GI tract and X-rays are taken. This procedure is also called a lower GI series.

Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: Every five years, beginning at age 50. This procedure looks inside the rectum and sigmoid (lower) colon for polyps, abnormal areas, or cancer.

Yearly stool blood test plus Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: Every five years, beginning at age 50.

Sometimes there are no symptoms of colorectal cancer in its early stages. However, patients should talk to an affiliated physician at the Memorial Hermann Cancer Center as soon as possible if they notice anything unusual, such as:


Change in bowel habits, including constipation, diarrhea or change in stool consistency

Blood in the stool

Abdominal pain with a bowel movement

Persistent cramps, gas, bloating or abdominal pain

Feeling that the bowel doesn't empty completely

Unexplained weight loss