Despite the fact that millions of dollars as well as many years of research have been invested into finding the cure for cancer, there is very little one could do to treat the condition, especially when in the final stage of the condition. As a result, it is important that you get a proper diagnosis done as soon as you notice any signs pointing out to the onset of the condition. This will greatly help to get effective treatment from the very beginning and thus increase the chances of a possible cure. Bowel cancer, also known as Colo rectal cancer or Colon cancer, is primarily the result of uncontrolled cell growth in the colon, rectum or the vermiform appendix. The bowel cancer test is one of the most common medical methods used in order to diagnose the condition as well as identify if it has spread to any other areas of the body. Symptoms are likely to be more prominent in cases where the tumor is closer to the anus. Bowel movement habits are likely to change and conditions such as constipation and diarrhea are likely to develop rather often. Some of the other common symptoms include melena, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and bowel perforation. Studies have shown that about 7% of all people are at the risk of developing bowel cancer, with some of the more prominent factors contributing to the development being a family history of the condition, ageing, smoking, a diet consisting of large amounts of red meat and physical inactivity.
There are a number of bowel cancer screening tests that will help in the diagnosis of the condition. A digital rectal exam (also known as DRE) will see the doctor insert a lubricated gloved finger into the rectum and feel around for abnormal areas. The downside of this test is the fact that one will only be able to detect rather large tumors and not the smaller ones. An FOBT, which is the Fecal Occult Blood test, is a bowel cancer screening test that looks for traces of blood in the stool to help detect the presence of the condition. There are a number of bowel cancer test kits that can help with performing the FOBT method that can be purchased from your local medical store in order to carry out the test as soon as possible. Interpretation of the bowel cancer test results from these kits is comprehensively explained on the packaging along with the instructions on how to have the test performed. However, it is still highly recommended that you have your doctor take a look at the results in order to advise you on the treatment for the same.