I understand that a colonoscopy could find an early colon cancer. Wouldn’t I need surgery and a colostomy if they found colon cancer?
Most of the time colonoscopy finds polyps BEFORE the polyps get abnormal enough to turn into cancer. Most patients who do have cancer will need an operation to remove the cancer. Only patients with a cancer very close to the anal sphincter muscles need a colostomy. The best chance of survival with colon cancer comes from finding it early. Colonoscopy is the best method to find early colon cancer. More detailed information can be found at: www.colorectal-cancer.net/prevention.htm .
