Myth/Excuse: “The tests are embarrassing and painful!”
Fact: There are actually a number of different tests for colorectal cancer. The most common tests are stool tests and the colonoscopy. Stool tests are used to look for small, invisible amounts of blood passed in a bowel movement that might indicate a polyp or cancer. These simple tests are performed in the privacy of your home.
A colonoscopy is done by a specialist in a hospital or outpatient center. The test is done in a private room with no other patients around. A thin lighted tube is inserted into the rectum and allows the doctor to view the inner lining of your colon.
Many people fear that this test will be painful. In fact, people who are having a colonoscopy are given medicine to help them relax; many people sleep through the exam.
