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Thank you for your thoughts. The timeline of colon cancer is complicated but we know that for most but all the very agreeing cancer for which there would be no viable treatment anyways, lesions develop into polyps which later turn malignant.
By the time hosting stool changes develop, it's probably a little bit late, because the umen of the colon would be quite compromised.
But even the smallest lesions and especially when it becomes a polyp tend to bleed because they have an excess or imbalanced blood supply. This is one of the best clues that we use in order to determine if a potential lesion exists, after which a colonoscopy is recommended.
Thank you for everyone's wonderful feedback on this article. Since this question came up a few times I thought I'd answer it here: no, I don't make any money from this product and don't know the manufacturer other than what's listed on the FDA website and my own experience. As a physician, I have access to many different colon cancer screening options for my patients and because my medical practice is a direct-pay model, I have no financial incentive in any medications I prescribe, labs or imaging studies I order, or any other profit model.
Really appreciate this, Dr. Ashori.
I’d add that day-to-day stool observation—color, texture, frequency—is often overlooked but can offer meaningful clues.
I do wonder if FOBT and even FIT might reflect a relatively late stage in the progression, since bleeding often suggests existing lesions.
That said, they’re still valuable tools—ideally complementing, not replacing, colonoscopy when appropriate.
In some cases, MR enterography can offer a less invasive but still detailed view, depending on the clinical picture.
Thank you for your thoughts. The timeline of colon cancer is complicated but we know that for most but all the very agreeing cancer for which there would be no viable treatment anyways, lesions develop into polyps which later turn malignant.
By the time hosting stool changes develop, it's probably a little bit late, because the umen of the colon would be quite compromised.
But even the smallest lesions and especially when it becomes a polyp tend to bleed because they have an excess or imbalanced blood supply. This is one of the best clues that we use in order to determine if a potential lesion exists, after which a colonoscopy is recommended.
Appreciate the clarification—makes sense that even small lesions can bleed early due to that vascular imbalance.
Thank you for everyone's wonderful feedback on this article. Since this question came up a few times I thought I'd answer it here: no, I don't make any money from this product and don't know the manufacturer other than what's listed on the FDA website and my own experience. As a physician, I have access to many different colon cancer screening options for my patients and because my medical practice is a direct-pay model, I have no financial incentive in any medications I prescribe, labs or imaging studies I order, or any other profit model.