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Screening with the Hemoccult® SENSA® Fecal Occult Blood Test
Regular screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) with the Hemoccult® SENSA® fecal occult blood test will save many American lives. Unfortunately, in 2001 only 1 in 5 individuals who would benefit from screening will accept this simple test as part of their regular health check-up. National guidelines recommend annual fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) as a proven CRC screening method. Regular testing with Hemoccult® SENSA®, the most widely recognized FOBT, can substantially lower the number of people who get the disease and the number who actually die from CRC.
NEW www.HemoccultFOBT.com site >>
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Product Features
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March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. As a leading sponsor to this important campaign, Beckman Coulter is helping to educate both physicians and patients on the importance of early screening and detection through annual usage of Hemoccult® and/or Hemoccult® SENSA®. The following are key colorectal cancer "educational points" for patients to consider.
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The Facts on Colorectal Cancer
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CRC is the number two cancer killer in the U.S. of men and women, second only to lung cancer. 1
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The American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 135,000 new cases and over 56,000 deaths from CRC in 2001. 1
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The lifetime risk for an American to get CRC is 1 in 17 for men and 1 in 18 for women. 1
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Screening every year with a proven FOBT, can lead to the detection and removal of premalignant polyps and reduce the risk of getting CRC by 20%. 2
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Screening every year with a proven FOBT can reduce deaths from CRC by 33%. 3
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The five-year survival rate from CRC is about 90% when the disease is detected early, compared to only 8% when it is detected in a late stage. 1
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Screening every year with a proven FOBT can detect 90% of CRC cases in average risk individuals; i.e., those who are age 50 and older and have no symptoms. 4
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More Info
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Beckman Coulter Can Help
Beckman Coulter distributes the Hemoccult II® SENSA® and Hemoccult II® fecal occult blood tests to physicians and other health providers. Each patient kit contains complete instructions for preparing and returning test cards to your health provider. The Hemoccult® products have been used in medical practice for over 30 years. More than 300 peer-reviewed articles on Hemoccult® have been published in the medical literature worldwide. The Hemoccult® FOBT products are proven to be convenient, dependable and effective in detecting hidden, abnormal colorectal bleeding. But to reduce the risk of developing CRC, they must be given to you by your doctor and used as part of your regular health check-ups.
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What YOU Should Do?
The next time you visit your doctor ask for the Hemoccult® test. Beginning at age 50, both men and women should start their screening program, and continue testing annually for the remainder of their productive lives. Other CRC screening tests including flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy and barium enema are also recommended by physicians for certain patients but they require more preparation. The American Cancer Society recommends a FOBT every year and a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years as the preferred CRC screening methods. Patients with a personal or family history of colorectal polyps and cancer, chronic inflammatory bowel disease or certain other forms of cancer have a higher risk of developing CRC and should have more intensive diagnostic testing.
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More About CRC And Testing
-- Because CRC may take 10-15 years or longer to develop in average risk people, it is important to begin screening before you have symptoms.
-- Polyps and cancers may bleed intermittently. Hemoccult II® SENSA® triple slides are specifically designed for patients to collect stool specimens at home from bowel movements over three days. This increases the chance of detecting hidden blood in the stool. If the test is positive, your doctor will advise you to have a follow-up procedure such as colonoscopy.
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How Does Beckman Coulter Help?
Beckman Coulter offers the Hemoccult® SENSA® and Hemoccult® fecal occult blood tests - both of which are used in doctor's offices, hospitals and other medical settings to screen for gastrointestinal bleeding that may indicate the presence of polyps or colorectal cancer. Over the past 30 years, these products have been used extensively and cited in more than 300 publications worldwide. Hemoccult® SENSA® and Hemoccult® have proven to be convenient, dependable and effective in detecting hidden, abnormal colorectal bleeding.
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Symptoms To Be Concerned About
If a person has any of these symptoms they may already have an advancing CRC. However, sometimes symptoms can also indicate an early-stage cancer.
The most important conditions or symptoms to watch for are:
-- A change in bowel habits (persistent diarrhea, constipation or narrowing of the stool).
-- Rectal bleeding or visible blood in the stool.
-- The feeling of having to move your bowels that is not relieved after defecation.
-- Cramping or steady abdominal pain.
-- Decreased appetite.
-- Persistent weakness and fatigue.
-- Jaundice.
Sometimes conditions such as infections, hemorrhoids and inflammatory bowel disease cause symptoms but only your doctor can advise you in these situations. Generally, in such cases, more intensive tests will be needed to find the cause of persisting symptoms.
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Treating Colorectal Cancer
Polyps that are also called adenomas, found during colonoscopy, are removed by a procedure called polypectomy. A pathologist should examine all polyps to determine if they are premalignant. CRC management depends primarily on surgical removal of a portion of the bowel where the tumor is found. The need to administer systemic or local adjuvant chemotherapy or immunotherapy, with or without radiation, depends on the location and stage of the tumor.
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