At Inova Gastroenterology, we offer screening colonoscopies, upper endoscopies and endoscopic ultrasound in partnership with Inova Schar Cancer and the Inova Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center.
Screening colonoscopies are an essential tool in the fight against colorectal cancer. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that everyone get screened for colon cancer beginning at age 45. Colonoscopies are one of the only procedures in medicine that can screen for, diagnose, and in some cases, treat GI conditions – all at once.
A colonoscopy is not your only option for screening for colon cancer. Other screening methods are fecal immunochemical test or a stool DNA test.
How do you know which colon cancer screening test is right for you?
Your healthcare provider is in the best position to give you advice on which colon cancer screening method might be best for you, depending on the following:
- Your personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps
- If you have a genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome)
- The resources available for testing and follow-up
Screening upper endoscopy is currently recommended for individuals with increased risk for esophageal and stomach cancer including those with family history of either cancer, immigrants from high-risk areas including East Asia and Central America, and patients with Barrett’s esophagus. At Inova GI, endomicroscopy using a probe passed via the endoscope is used in addition to upper endoscopy to better examine abnormal areas seen during endoscopy.
Endoscopic ultrasound is recommended for the screening of patients at high risk for pancreatic cancer including those with increased genetic risk or a family history of pancreatic cancer or for the surveillance of patients with pancreas cysts.
Learn more about colonoscopies
Learn more about upper endoscopy (EGD)