CHP Colon Screening Program
Colon Screening Recommendations
The American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommend that everyone should start colon cancer screening at age 45. Screening should continue through age 75, and, in some cases, screening should continue through age 85. Some people are at increased risk for colon cancer due to their family history and should speak with their primary care doctor to ask if screening should start before age 45.
How Do I Complete a Colon Screening?
The easiest way to participate in colon screening is by completing a stool kit (commonly called a “FIT kit”). The kit is easy to do and can be completed at home and then be returned to the lab by mail, or it can be delivered to one of the Capital Health Plan Health Centers. For the FIT kit, only one small sample of stool is required, and there are no dietary or medication restrictions required.
Another option for screening, which is considered the “gold standard,” is a colonoscopy. The benefit of having a colonoscopy is that precancerous growths can be detected and painlessly removed during the exam – before cancer cells develop – therefore preventing colon cancer from occurring.
We Don’t Use IV Sedation
Many people delay scheduling a colonoscopy because they have been told the exam has to be done with intravenous (IV) sedation and, given people’s busy schedules and personal responsibilities, they can’t be “out of it” for a day. Many people simply don’t want the side-effects associated with IV sedation.
In 2011, the CHP Colon Screening Program began offering in-office colonoscopies which are done at CHP’s Centerville location. There, colonoscopies are successfully done without IV sedation, and the exam is very well tolerated. Patients can drive themselves to and from the appointment and resume their usual responsibilities immediately after the procedure.
How Do I Schedule My Colon Screening?
If you are a healthy adult and have no worrisome symptoms (e.g., unexplained abdominal pain, rectal bleeding), you can schedule an appointment for your colonoscopy by calling the Capital Health Plan Colon Screening Program at (850) 523-7350.
There are several options for participation in colon cancer screening covered by CHP including iFOBT (stool kit), FIT-DNA (Cologuard), colonography (CTC), flexible sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. If you’re not sure which screening option is right for you, please contact your primary care physician to have an important discussion about periodic screening, the various options available, and the role screening plays in disease prevention.