What if the Colotest is "positive"?
A positive Colotest means that blood has been found in your stool.
Don't worry: 9 out of 10 times it's not cancer. But this blood can come from a polyp (a type of growth in the intestine). Polyps are common. Often they are not dangerous. Sometimes some start to bleed. In this case, they can turn into cancer. Therefore, they need to be found and removed.
To find the cause of the bleeding, a thorough examination of your colon is needed. This examination is called a colonoscopy. A colonoscopy must be prescribed by your doctor.
What is a colonoscopy?
A colonoscopy is an examination of the inside of the colon by a specialized doctor. He or she uses a long, flexible tube with a small camera and a light at the end: the "colonoscope" or "endoscope." The colonoscope is carefully inserted through the anus. Using the camera, the specialist can examine the inside of your intestine and possibly remove any polyps present.
The colonoscopy takes place in the hospital or in a Digestive Endoscopy Clinic and lasts about 30 minutes. If you wish, the examination can be done under anesthesia (sedation): you will feel nothing. The 3 days before the colonoscopy you must follow a low-fiber diet. The day before you must drink a liquid to cleanse your bowel.
First possibility (most common):
The specialist finds no abnormalities and no polyps in your intestines: the examination is normal. False alarm.
You can perform the Colotest again within five years.
Second possibility:
The specialist finds a polyp: he removes it. The polyp will be examined in the laboratory. Depending on the result, the specialist will explain to you what needs to be done.
Third possibility (least common):
The specialist finds early-stage cancer. In this case, you will be treated with the greatest chance of recovery since the cancer was detected at an early stage.
