Article: Bowel cancer - Screening and prevention

We are often confronted with the topic of screening in our everyday lives, for example on subway posters, in a doctor’s practice, or when talking to friends and relatives. Bowel cancer is one of the types of cancer screening programs often focus on. The message usually reads “prevention is better than cure”, which sounds reasonable. Bowel cancer screening can indeed lower the risk of getting bowel cancer and dying. But this is only one side of the coin: the screening examinations can have complications, too. And the benefit of screening is smaller than many people think it is. In short: bowel cancer screening has advantages and disadvantages.

This information aims to help you form your own opinion on the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of bowel cancer screening so that you can make your own decision. If you want more concise information, you can read the most important information here.

Table of contents

  1. Bowel cancer and screening
    1. How does bowel cancer develop?
    2. Does bowel cancer have any signs or symptoms?
    3. What are the aims of screening?
    4. Who is screening for?
    5. How common is bowel cancer?
    6. Who has a higher risk?
  2. Screening methods
    1. Stool tests for hidden blood
      1. The test
      2. Advantages and disadvantages of chemical stool tests
      3. Other stool tests
    2. Sigmoidoscopy
      1. The examination
      2. Advantages and disadvantages
    3. Colonoscopy
      1. The examination
      2. Advantages and disadvantages
    4. What statutory health insurance pays for in Germany
  3. Personal aspects
    1. Feeling embarrassed
    2. Bowel cancer in the family
    3. Making a decision
  4. Sources

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  • Last update: December 22nd 2011 12:19
  • Created (German version): November 30th 2011 10:06
  • History: Show list

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