In India, the annual incidence rates (AAR) for colon cancer and rectal cancer in men are 4.4 and 4.1 per 100000, respectively. AAR for colon cancer in women is 3.9 per 100000. Colon cancer ranks 8th and rectal cancer ranks 9th among men. For women, rectal cancer does not figure in the top 10 cancers, whereas colon cancer ranks 9. This article shows why colonoscopy has been considered the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening and why it should be recommended for all patients to eligible to undergo the test.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is diagnosed after the onset of symptoms or because of occult bleeding in the majority of patients. Screening of asymptomatic individuals for CRC is advocated by many techniques but colonoscopy still considered as a gold standard. Screening has been shown to detect asymptomatic early-stage malignancy and improve mortality. The comparison of colonoscopy…
