Health screening guidelines are released by organizations for the benefit of individuals at risk for various diseases. A common guideline is the cancer screening, which lists recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Cancer Society in the United States for people who, because of their age or environment, may be likely to get cancer. The Medicare system in America, known as CMS, also releases guidelines for cancer screening.
Colorectal Screening
Colorectal screening refers to the prevention, detection and treatment of colorectal cancer in people over the age of 50. Because colorectal cancer is the second-highest cause of death in Americans with cancer, people older than 50 are encouraged to undergo routine screening for disease in the colon and rectum. Prevention and early detection are keys to preventing complications or fatality from colorectal cancer. Screening procedures include a range of tests that may be used individually or combined to determine risk.
Procedural Guidelines
Many different procedures are recommended under the CMS guidelines for colon screening. Fecal occult procedures and colonoscopies are the most common.
For a fecal occult procedure, you will be required to place fecal samples onto a test card and return it to your doctor or a lab for testing. Medicare provides for one fecal test every year.
A colonoscopy involves a thin tube which is inserted into the rectum to search for polyps and cancer in the lower portion of the patient's colon.
Other procedures recommended under guidelines include a sigmoidoscopy, which is similar to a colonoscopy, and a barium enema, which will allow a technician to view the colon for any defects, polyps or possible cancer.
What is Covered
The guidelines for colon screening allow for a certain amount of financial assistance for people covered under Medicaid or Medicare. Beneficiaries are considered to be at a high risk if they have a family medical history of colon or rectal cancer, a personal history of adenomatous polyps, or a record of a bowel disease such as Crohn's or colitis. An adenomatous polyp is a benign (non-cancerous) growth that has the potential to become malignant. People who have had a close relative, including a brother or sister, son or daughter, or a parent, with colon cancer are also covered under CMS guidelines. If none of these applies, a colon screening may still be covered because of other risk factors such as inflamed intestines, advanced age, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, or a history of smoking or obesity.
Tags: colorectal cancer, under guidelines, cancer people, cancer screening, colon screening
