What is the earliest age to get check-ups for colorectal conditions?

There isn’t a need to actively search for gallstones, neither is there a need to actively search for gastritis for that matter. So for gastritis and gallstones, you only really need to get it checked if you’re symptomatic. It means that if you do a health screening, you get an ultrasound done, and it shows gallstones -- but if you don’t have symptoms, then you can actually choose to leave the gallstones alone. But of course with the understanding that in the next 5 years around 15% of such cases start to experience symptoms. So that’s one thing to consider.

In terms of checking for piles, similarly, if you’re not symptomatic, you don’t need to actively look for piles. On that note, if you do have bleeding but you don’t have any of the pain or any of the prolapse that is associated with piles, and you’re 40 and above, then it is certainly reasonable that you get a full colonoscopy done.

For those that are younger than 40, if you’re worried and particularly have a family history of colon cancer, and also worried about the complications and side effects of colonoscopy, there is a role to do what we call a limited scope. A flexible sigmoidoscopy. And that’s because essentially if you’re bleeding -- if you have fresh blood that you can see from the bottom, in all due likelihood it’s somewhere near the anus. And the flexible sigmoidoscopy covers up about 30-40cm, which for most cases is enough to diagnose fresh blood.

But on saying that, I will advise that if you’re above 40, you should get a colonoscopy done.

Hi, Ashley

For a normal risk individual with no family history of colon cancer, the MOH guidelines suggest age 50 and beyond. My advice varies slightly as I have seen individuals as young as their late 30s and early 40s with cancer, and as such, I suggest doing a colonoscopy when one nears 45 years old.

For an individual with family history of colon cancer, particularly if it is first degree relatives such as parents, then the first colonoscopy screening should be done 10 years prior to the age of first diagnosis of cancer in the index case. In other words, if the parent had colon cancer at age 45, the children should start screening at age 35.

I hope the above helps to answer your queries.

Aaron

Hi, Ashley

As a follow up to my earlier reply, if an individual has symptoms attributable to the colon such as a change in bowel habits or blood in stools or long term tummy pain, then a colonoscopy is warranted irregardless of the age of the individual.

Alternatively, if an individual wishes to have a colonoscopy to check/screen his colon, then he or she can certainly opt to do one irregardless of their age

Aaron

There isn’t a need to actively search for gallstones, neither is there a need to actively search for gastritis for that matter. So for gastritis and gallstones, you only really need to get it checked if you’re symptomatic. It means that if you do a health screening, you get an ultrasound done, and it shows gallstones -- but if you don’t have symptoms, then you can actually choose to leave the gallstones alone. But of course with the understanding that in the next 5 years around 15% of such cases start to experience symptoms. So that’s one thing to consider.

In terms of checking for piles, similarly, if you’re not symptomatic, you don’t need to actively look for piles. On that note, if you do have bleeding but you don’t have any of the pain or any of the prolapse that is associated with piles, and you’re 40 and above, then it is certainly reasonable that you get a full colonoscopy done.

For those that are younger than 40, if you’re worried and particularly have a family history of colon cancer, and also worried about the complications and side effects of colonoscopy, there is a role to do what we call a limited scope. A flexible sigmoidoscopy. And that’s because essentially if you’re bleeding -- if you have fresh blood that you can see from the bottom, in all due likelihood it’s somewhere near the anus. And the flexible sigmoidoscopy covers up about 30-40cm, which for most cases is enough to diagnose fresh blood.

But on saying that, I will advise that if you’re above 40, you should get a colonoscopy done.