The colonoscopy diagnosis rate of young patients with colorectal cancer is low

In order to diagnose colorectal cancer early, a series of related examinations are needed, and colonoscopy is one of them. However, colonoscopy cannot diagnose every patient suspected of colorectal cancer.

Colonoscope is a common member of the fiber endoscope family. It is inserted through the anus and goes retrograde downward to examine the rectum, sigmoid colon, descending colon, transverse colon, ascending colon, cecum, and the end of the ileocecal end connected to the large intestine. Intestinal lesions can be clearly found and treated, such as direct removal of benign lesions such as colorectal polyps and endoscopic hemostasis of intestinal bleeding. Colonoscopy technology is currently the main means of diagnosis and treatment that cannot be replaced by other means, but it is not omnipotent.

A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology showed that the positive rate of colonoscopy is low for patients with colorectal cancer under the age of 40. The Digestive Disease Center of the Medical University of South Carolina selected 1,766 patients with non-acute rectal bleeding to test the positive rate of colonoscopy, including 711 women with an average age of 57 years old.

The results showed that the proportion of normal test results was higher in younger patients than in older patients. In addition, the incidence of diverticular disease, small polyps, large polyps, and tumors increased with age. No patients under the age of 40 had isolated proximal tumors. However, 7% of patients had other significant isolated proximal diseases.

Since the tumor positivity rate of colonoscopy in young patients is very low, using age alone as the criterion for whether to perform colonoscopy may lead to missed diagnosis. Young people should undergo more examinations to confirm the disease.