Causes and risk factors

 

Medical studies find that there are many factors that may raise the risk of growing colon polyps and can even cause colon cancer. For instance, emotional pressure can potentially lead to health problems. Long periods of sedentary behaviour and lack of physical activity are also strongly linked to obesity, digestive problems and bowel disorders. Eating barbecued and smoked foods, fatty foods, red meat, foods with high sodium content can result in colorectal cancer. Experts do agree that a balanced diet is a cornerstone of health, and typically discourage eating processed meat. Moreover, cigarette smoking and alcohol consuming are both important risk factors for bowel diseases. While people over the age of 50 are at higher risk to get colon polyps and cancer.

 

Prevention by Screening

 

There were two types of colon cancer screenings: the stool occult blood test and the colonoscopy. However, fecal occult blood test only detects colon cancer and not the pre-cancerous polyps. This makes a colonoscopy the most effective way of screening at present.

 

Eligibility of Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme

 

Hong Kong residents born in the years 1945 to 1971, who do not have symptoms of colorectal cancer, higher colorectal cancer risk, or screening/examination for colorectal cancer within a specified period, can join the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme.

 

 

Eligible persons must first make an appointment with a primary care doctor (PCD) participating in the Programme. After enrolment in the Programme, the participant will receive a government subsidy to undergo the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT). If the FIT result is positive, the participant will be referred to see a colonoscopy specialist who has enrolled in the Programme to receive colonoscopy examination subsidised by the Government in order to find out the cause of bleeding and to remove the colon polyps if there is any. However, no screening test is 100% accurate, so even if the FIT result is negative, we highly recommend the participant continues to watch out for symptoms of colorectal cancer, or schedule for a colonoscopy if there is any concern.

 

Colorectal cancer prevention with colonoscopy

 

Most colorectal cancers begin as a small and benign polyp. In the case of colorectal polyps, the doctor may remove them because some types of polyps can later develop into cancer. Removing the polyps can help prevent colorectal cancer from developing. Colonoscopy commences with a flexible endoscope, by passing through the anus to the lower bowel to examine if there is any inflammation, polyp or tumour. When any suspicious lesion was found, biopsy will be performed. When polyp was found, polypectomy will usually be performed in the same session. Cancers can be detected during the colonoscopy. Biopsies taken during the procedure are sent to a laboratory for analysis to determine whether they are cancerous, precancerous or noncancerous. The result will facilitate an accurate and timely diagnosis.

 

Colonoscopy Package (with effect from 15th July 2021)

 

• Colonoscopy (without polyp and biopsy): $ 9,600
• Total no. of polyps and sites of biopsy is 1-3: $13,800
• Total no. of polyps and sites of biopsy is 4-9: $14,800
• Total no. of polyps and sites of biopsy is 10 or above: $15,400

 

The Package Price above covers Surgeon’s Fee, Intravenous Sedation Fee, Instrument Fee, Pathology Fee, CO2 Fee, Operation Theatre Fee, an Endoscopy Report with a DVD attached, Post-operative Medication Fee, Post-operative Report Interpretation and other miscellaneous charges during the procedure.

 

*The above information is for reference only, please consult your doctor for detail.