How Is Colon Cancer Diagnosed?

How Is Colon Cancer Diagnosed? (0:48)

Screening is the number-one way colon cancer is diagnosed, but it’s not the only way, according to gastroenterologist Dr. Lisa Ganjhu. Watch the video to learn which early symptoms of colon cancer to watch for.

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Screening is the best way of looking for risks for colon cancer such as polyps. If you have any symptoms such as weight loss, blood in your stool, change in the stools calibers, change in your bowel habits, it's important to go to your doctor to have him evaluate your colon, the way we do that is with the colonoscopy.

That's a small scope that we pass through the rectum and look into the large bowel and what we're looking for are lesions or abnormal masses in the colon that may be colon cancer. So early colon cancer may actually not have any symptoms but it's really important for you to get your screening colonoscopy and any surveillance colonoscopy is afterwards because having a colonoscopy and looking for pellets and having them removed, reduces your risk for colon cancer.