Screening

Screening for colorectal cancer should begin from age 50 for people with no symptoms.

Discuss with your doctor which screening test is best for you.

The recommended screening tests are:

Faecal Immunochemical Test

• Detects the presence of small amounts of blood (that may not be seen with the naked eye) in the stools
• Is safe, quick and easy to do
• Requires no change in diet prior test and can be done at home
• Should be done once a year
• You will need to collect two stool samples over two days for a more accurate result

Colonoscopy

• Uses a flexible tube (colonoscope) to look at the inner lining of the large intestine (colon and rectum)
• Takes about 30 minutes to complete
• Has to be done in a hospital by a trained doctor
• Should be done once every 10 years

Treatment

Treatment methods for colorectal cancer could be applied alone or in combination depending on the stage and size of the tumour.

• Surgery: For colorectal cancer, surgery is the main type of treatment. The goal of surgical therapy is to remove the cancer from the colon or other organs that have been affected by the cancer.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherpay can be used to destroy cancer cells after surgery, to control tumour growth or to relieve symptoms of colorectal cancer.
• Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy uses X-rays to kill any cancer cells that might remain after surgery or to shrink large tumours before an operation so that they can be removed more easily.