Colorectal health: member guide
Colorectal health is important to your overall well-being. Do you want to keep your colon as healthy as possible? How do you know what is healthy for your colon? According to the American Cancer Society, there are several things you can do to help decrease your risk of colorectal cancer:
- Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
- Limit red and processed meats.
- Stay physically active.
- Stay a healthy weight.
- Don't smoke.
- Limit alcohol intake.
One of the most powerful things you can do to prevent colorectal cancer is to have regular screenings starting at age 45 for most people. When you have regular screenings, most polyps can be found and removed before they even have the chance to turn into cancer. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults aged 45 to 75 have a screening for colorectal cancer. If you are older than 75, ask your doctor if you should be screened. If you have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, you should talk to your doctor about when to begin screening (it may be prior to age 45), which test is right for you and how often to get tested.
A screening test is part of preventive care and is done to prevent or avoid illness or health problems when you don’t have symptoms. Search the Surest app or website for "colon screening" to find providers and prices. If you are having symptoms or have a prior condition, you may also need colorectal testing. In this case, the test is not a screening.
What if I’m having symptoms?
If you are having symptoms you should see your doctor. Symptoms to watch for:
- Changes in bowel habits like frequent diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of stool that lasts for more than a few days
- Rectal bleeding or you see blood in your stool, either bright red or dark brown/black
- Feeling that your bowels just don’t empty all the way, even after you have a bowel movement
- Abdominal pain or cramping that doesn’t go away
- Weight loss when you haven’t been trying to lose weight or don’t know why
If you are having symptoms or have health issues that lead to colorectal testing, the test is not a screening for preventive care. Instead it’s called diagnostic. That means the doctor will use the test to help monitor or diagnose a condition. There will be a cost for the diagnostic test and the cost varies depending on where you have it done. You can find your costs in the Surest app or website by searching the name of the test, “non-screening colonoscopy” for example. Call Member Services at the number on the back of your Surest member ID card for any additional questions. Examples of diagnostic testing:
- You have a condition—Crohn’s disease, for example—and the doctor orders a colonoscopy for monitoring the condition. The colonoscopy would be diagnostic, and you would have a cost.
- You’ve noticed a change in bowel habits and have had unexplained weight loss. Your doctor orders a colonoscopy to investigate your symptoms. The colonoscopy would be diagnostic, and you would have a cost.
Talk to your doctor about whether your colorectal testing is screening or diagnostic before you schedule the test so you can understand your coverage. You might ask your doctor: “To help me schedule this test, I need to understand how the colonoscopy will be billed. Is the colonoscopy considered screening or diagnostic?” If your doctor tells you the colonoscopy is diagnostic, check the Surest app for your cost at different locations. Let your doctor know which location you’d like to have the testing done.
Types of colorectal testing
Stool tests
These are the most convenient and safest tests. Talk to your doctor about which type of test is right for you.
Guaiac-based fecal occult blood test (gFOBT)
- Once a year
- Your doctor gives you the kit to collect a small amount of stool
- Return the kit to your doctor or follow the doctor's instructions
- FIT test (see below) is more commonly done
Fecal immunochemical test (FIT)
- Once a year
- Your doctor gives you the kit to collect a small amount of stool
- Return the kit to your doctor or follow the doctor's instructions
FIT-DNA test (DNA)
- Once every 1-3 years
- Your doctor orders the test and a kit is mailed to you
- You collect an entire bowel movement and send to the lab per the instructions
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
For this test, a short, thin, flexible, lighted tube is inserted into your rectum. The doctor checks for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and lower part of the colon. Flexible sigmoidoscopy alone does not screen for cancer or polyps in the upper part of the colon. This test is usually done every 5 years, or every 10 years with a FIT test every year.
Colonoscopy
In this test, a long, thin, flexible, lighted tube is used to check for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and the colon. Most polyps and some cancers can be removed during the test. Colonoscopy can also be used as a follow-up if one of the other tests is abnormal. This is usually done every 10 years unless you have an increased risk for cancer. There is a roughly 1 in 1000 chance of serious complications from a colonoscopy.
CT Colonography (Virtual Colonoscopy)
CT colonography uses X-rays and computers to produce images of the colon. This is typically done every 5 years. This test is safe but causes exposure to radiation.
How Do I Know Which Screening Test Is Right for Me?
There isn’t a test that is best for everyone; talk to your doctor about what might be the right test for you. Considerations include:
- Your risk level, including medical conditions you may have
- Your preferences, including how likely you will be to complete the test
- How often you will need the screening test
Find more care options when you search “colorectal care”
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This content is not medical advice. You should always consult with your health care professional.