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Avatar universal

How reliable is colonoscopy fo colon cancer detection?

Hi
57 yr old male. Have had several colonoscopies since 40s only because my dad had diverticulitis. Last scope was done 4 yrs ago. All normal, no polyps, no sign of disease. In the last 4-6 months I have developed IBS-like symptoms with narrowing stools, change in bowel frequency, urgency and consistency. No blood in stools, no fever. I am an anxious person in general. Cannot link to diet directly. Had an abdominal u/sound 1 month ago on GP's request;  all normal other than a moderately fatty liver. All blood work normal, liver enzymes, lipids etc. Rx-wise, on pantaloc for many years and started Crestor for lipid management around the time these gastro symptoms started.
I want to believe that I can rule out colon cancer as a diagnosis based on the fact that 4 yrs ago there were no issues with my colonoscopy. I am scheduled to see my GP for another follow up on this issue. In the meantime, can anyone shed some light on how reliable a colonoscopy is in detecting colon cancer? I thought this was the gold standard and the American Cancer Society recommends screening every 10 yrs. I have it done every 5 yrs. Should I be concerned that the GI symptoms I described could be cancer of the colon?
Many thanks
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Avatar universal
Hi, as far as I know colonoscopy is a very reliable method for detecting cancer.  Maybe if you are worry you should do it every 3 years instead. I hope this helps.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, as far as I know colonoscopy is a very reliable method for detecting cancer.  Maybe if you are worry you should do it every 3 years instead. I hope this helps.
Helpful - 0
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