Endoscopy and Gastrointestinal Cancer Screening
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Some relevant facts and figures:
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- Cancer is the no. 1 cause of death in Singapore
- 1 in 4 Singaporeans dies from cancer
- 28 people are diagnosed with cancer every day
- 14 people die from cancer every day
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- Stomach cancer is among the top 10 most common cancers in Singapore
- Stomach cancer is the 4th most frequent cause of cancer death in Singapore
- Survival depends on early detection: 5-year survival in the early stages is 95%. 5-year survival in advanced disease is 0-2%.
- Stomach cancer is easily detectable with gastroscopy – a low-risk, minimally invasive procedure.
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- Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in Singapore
- Colorectal cancer is one of the most frequent causes of cancer death in Singapore
- Survival depends on early detection: 5-survival in the early stages is 95%. 5-year survival in advanced disease is 0-3%.
- Almost all colorectal cancers start as a ‘polyp’ ie a growth protruding from the inner lining of the bowel. The time required for progression from premalignant polyp to invasive cancer may be 5 or more years
- A window of opportunity exists when these polyps may be safely removed through the colonoscope – effectively preventing the development of cancer
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Colorectal cancer screening saves lives in two ways:
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- By finding and removing precancerous polyps before they progress to invasive cancer
- By detecting colorectal cancer early when it is most treatable with the highest chance of cure or long-term survival
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Endoscopy is a procedure which allows visual examination of the internal aspect of the human body.
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An endoscope is a thin, long, flexible tube with a fibreoptic light source and a video camera at one end. Images of the insides of the body are relayed real-time to a video monitor. Endoscopes may be inserted into the body through a natural orifice such as the nose, throat or anus. Alternatively, they may be inserted through a small incision in the skin – for example, endoscopes may be inserted into the knee joint through skin incisions over the knee.
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There are many types of endoscopes – some examples:
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- Gastroscopes are used to examine the stomach
- Colonoscopes are used to examine the colon
- Cystoscopes are used to examine the urinary bladder
- Bronchoscopes are used to examine the lungs
- Arthroscopes are used to examine the joints
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Gastroscopy is the most sensitive tool for diagnosis of gastric cancer and other diseases affecting the stomach. It is a safe, low-risk procedure. A diagnostic gastroscopy is usually completed within 5 – 10 minutes. Patients are sedated during this procedure and experience minimal discomfort.
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Colonoscopy is a procedure which allows doctors to examine the inner lining of your colon. It is the ‘gold standard’ option for colorectal cancer screening. When used as a colon cancer prevention method, colonoscopy can detect and allows removal of potentially precancerous growths called polyps.
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