Why is early colon cancer screening important?

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Early screening of the colon is one of the most important ways to detect and prevent colon cancer. In this video, Dr. Echavarria and Dr. Gelrud discuss how several studies have shown that by removing polyps, there is a decrease in the number of new cases of colon cancer, and a decrease in colon cancer death rates. Polyp removal is easy and only takes a couple of seconds to a couple of minutes. In contrast, it is very difficult to treat an advanced stage of colon cancer, which could involve surgery, chemotherapy, and the outcome might not be as good as if it had been removed when it was just a small polyp. Recent studies show that if a screening colonoscopy detects colon cancer at an early stage it can be treated with an almost 90% chance of survival. Cancers that are more advanced (i.e., stage IV) only have a 10% survival rate over 5 years. By finding polyps early, there is a better chance of preventing colon cancer. By identifying early cancer early, you can improve the outcome of your health and lifespan.