The experienced doctors at Island View Gastroenterology Associates, serving Ventura and Oxnard, CA, and the general vicinity, offer patients the option of a colonoscopy to diagnose cancer as early as possible.

A colonoscopy gets a bad rep, but it’s not a scary diagnostic at all and is highly beneficial to the patient. The American Cancer Society estimates over 100,000 people will receive a colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2024 alone, making it a common problem but one that has a much better prognosis when it’s caught early.

Why Colonoscopies Are Important

Colorectal cancer is the fourth-leading type of cancer to cause death in women and the third-leading cause of death in men. And the American Cancer Society anticipates it’ll take the lives of over 50,000 individuals in 2024 alone. Therefore, getting a diagnosis is vital, especially since early detection leads to the best prognosis.

Specifically, when it’s found early, there’s a higher chance of you going into remission. Plus, the treatment isn’t nearly as intense in the early stages. 

For instance, if we find it when it’s still local to the intestines, the five-year survival rate is 91 percent. Once it spreads to the nearby region, the survival rate drops to 71 percent. And when it’s not caught until it spreads to other organs, the survival rate is only 13 percent. As you can see, the prognosis is much better when we find it early. 

Typically, when we find it while it’s still in the intestines, surgery, ablation, or radiation are enough to remove the tumor(s). Each of these treatments is highly targeted at the area.

Once it spreads, you may need a treatment that’s more aggressive and less targeted, such as chemotherapy. 

We should note that these cancer screenings have had an immense impact on the survival rate of this cancer, as pointed out by the American Cancer Society.

What To Expect During Treatment

When you arrive for your colonoscopy appointment at our Ventura, CA, office, you’ll first need to put on a surgical gown and take a sedative and possibly pain medication. The drugs provided ensure you’re comfortable throughout the procedure and won’t remember it at all or not much. 

We’ll ask that you lie on your side for the procedure. Then, our practitioner will insert the camera and watch the screen as it moves through your intestines. During this time, our doctor will release air or carbon dioxide into the colon to inflate it and obtain a better view.

Colonoscopy Appointments

Get a comfortable colonoscopy at Island View Gastroenterology Associates, serving Ventura and Oxnard, CA, and the surrounding areas. 

Call (805) 641-6525 today.