There are certain cancers, such as stomach, colon, and rectal cancers, that can be treated if caught early. It’s important to listen to your doctor when they recommend a cancer screening as a preventative measure. Your doctors at Suburban Surgical Associates/Suburban Metabolic Institute in Berwyn, La Grange, and Elmhurst, IL, can answer any questions you may have about cancer screenings and tell you why they’re important to have.
What are Cancer Screenings?
Cancer screenings can either be a colonoscopy or an upper endoscopy. Both use a thin, long, and flexible scope to see inside your body to search for any abnormalities that may be hiding. A colonoscopy is most common and lets your doctor look inside the rectum and colon and can also take a biopsy to help diagnose cancer at an early stage.
There are many risk factors that would require you to get a colonoscopy to help increase your chance of catching cancer early and being able to treat it immediately. Some of these risk factors include:
- Family history
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Tobacco use
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Being over the age of 50
- Blood in your stool
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
Your doctors in Berwyn, La Grange, and Elmhurst, IL, can help you determine your risk factors and will give you a recommendation on when you may need a cancer screening. A cancer screening is your best preventative measure against cancer because when caught early, it’s usually treatable and increases your chance of beating cancer.
Contact Your Doctor Today!
It’s really important to get cancer screenings as recommended by your doctor depending on how at-risk you are for cancer. If you meet one or more of the risk factors listed above, it’s important to see your doctor for a cancer screening at Suburban Surgical Associates/Suburban Metabolic Institute in Berwyn, La Grange, and Elmhurst, IL. Call (708) 484-0621 to schedule an appointment at any of our three locations.