Social Issues | 23 November 2010 Last updated at 15:45 CET
ENDOSCOPY: A TUBE IN TIME SAVES LIVES
By NBF News
Advances in fibre optic endoscopy have resulted in the early detection and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases including cancer.
Symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, swallowing difficulties, low blood level, (anemia), unexplained weight loss, bleeding from the anus etc should not be ignored in some cases, these may be serious and may represent an early sign of gastrointestinal disease.
According to Dr Ayo Oshowo of D&Tec Diagnostic and Therapeutic Endoscopy Centre,Ikoyi, there is a move to raise awareness of these symptoms and advocate the benefit of early detection through screening. 'A large number of cancer development can be prevented through this campaign.
Gastrointestinal cancers affecting the oesophagus (gullet), stomach, colon and the rectum collectively are the leading causes of cancer related death world-wide. Though, there are regional variations that need to be taken into consideration.
'There are well recognized pro-cancerous conditions that if detected via endoscopy or colonscopy and treated can alter the natural history and prevent progression to cancer (malignancy), for example Barrett's oesophagus and oesophagusal cancer, pylori infection, antrophic gastritis and gastric cancer, colorectal polyp disease and colorectal cancer,' Dr Oshowo said.
'In the developed world, advances in fibreoptic endoscopy, wider availability of endoscopy facilities and public awareness has resulted in the earlier detection and in larger number of cases prevention of cancer development through open access endoscopy (walk-in centres), improved GP, patient education and formal screening programmes.
'Our servuces is the first of its kind, purpose designed to offer gastro-intestinal accessment and diagnosis to international standards. Our team of highly skilled and trained consultants has a combined knowledge and experience level equivalent to well over 60 years.
'The aims of our campaign are firstly to inform and enlighten the community as to the risks of gastrointestinal concerns as well as highlights some of the early warning symptoms, secondly to offer patients private, confidential and high quality assessments and treatment when indicated.
'Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or OGD examines the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum. This is used to determine the cause(s) of the following symptoms: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, swallowing difficulties, anemia gastro-oesophageal reflux, unexplained weight loss, bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract.'
This procedure can also be used to remove objects lodged in the oesophagus and to treat conditions such as bleeding ulcers. It can also be used to biopsy tissue in the upper gastrointestinal tract. During a biopsy, a small piece of tissues is removed for further examination.
Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy or colonscopy is used to visualize the colon and rectum, in order to investigate the cause of blood in the stool, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, a change in bowel habit, or an abnormality found on computerized tomographic (CT) scan.
Individuals with a family history of some types of non-colonic cancers or colonic problems that may be associated with colon cancer (such as ulcerative colitis and colonic polyps) may be advised to have periodic colonoscopies because their risks are greater for polyps or colon cancer.
How often one should undergo a colonoscopy depends on the degree of the risks and the abnormalities found at previous colonoscopies. More recently, it has been recommended that even healthy people at normal risk for colon cancer should undergo colonoscopy at age 50 and every 20 years thereafter, for the purpose of removing colonic polyps before they become cancerous.
Sometimes, a colonoscopy is used to confirm the results of other tests, such as the faecal occult blood (FOB) test, which is used in routine screening and looks for hidden blood in your stool.
Dr Oshowo said, 'During the procedure, we may also remove any polyps (small growths of tissue) found on your bowel wall. Polyps are usually benign (not cancerous), but can become cancerous over a number of years. Most bowel cancers are thought to develop from a pre-existing polyp.
'The assessment of the gastro-intestinal tract is usually performed either under local anaesthetic spray or conscious sedation as a day case,' he said.
Symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, swallowing difficulties, low blood level, (anemia), unexplained weight loss, bleeding from the anus etc should not be ignored in some cases, these may be serious and may represent an early sign of gastrointestinal disease.
According to Dr Ayo Oshowo of D&Tec Diagnostic and Therapeutic Endoscopy Centre,Ikoyi, there is a move to raise awareness of these symptoms and advocate the benefit of early detection through screening. 'A large number of cancer development can be prevented through this campaign.
Gastrointestinal cancers affecting the oesophagus (gullet), stomach, colon and the rectum collectively are the leading causes of cancer related death world-wide. Though, there are regional variations that need to be taken into consideration.
'There are well recognized pro-cancerous conditions that if detected via endoscopy or colonscopy and treated can alter the natural history and prevent progression to cancer (malignancy), for example Barrett's oesophagus and oesophagusal cancer, pylori infection, antrophic gastritis and gastric cancer, colorectal polyp disease and colorectal cancer,' Dr Oshowo said.
'In the developed world, advances in fibreoptic endoscopy, wider availability of endoscopy facilities and public awareness has resulted in the earlier detection and in larger number of cases prevention of cancer development through open access endoscopy (walk-in centres), improved GP, patient education and formal screening programmes.
'Our servuces is the first of its kind, purpose designed to offer gastro-intestinal accessment and diagnosis to international standards. Our team of highly skilled and trained consultants has a combined knowledge and experience level equivalent to well over 60 years.
'The aims of our campaign are firstly to inform and enlighten the community as to the risks of gastrointestinal concerns as well as highlights some of the early warning symptoms, secondly to offer patients private, confidential and high quality assessments and treatment when indicated.
'Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or OGD examines the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum. This is used to determine the cause(s) of the following symptoms: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, swallowing difficulties, anemia gastro-oesophageal reflux, unexplained weight loss, bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract.'
This procedure can also be used to remove objects lodged in the oesophagus and to treat conditions such as bleeding ulcers. It can also be used to biopsy tissue in the upper gastrointestinal tract. During a biopsy, a small piece of tissues is removed for further examination.
Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy or colonscopy is used to visualize the colon and rectum, in order to investigate the cause of blood in the stool, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, a change in bowel habit, or an abnormality found on computerized tomographic (CT) scan.
Individuals with a family history of some types of non-colonic cancers or colonic problems that may be associated with colon cancer (such as ulcerative colitis and colonic polyps) may be advised to have periodic colonoscopies because their risks are greater for polyps or colon cancer.
How often one should undergo a colonoscopy depends on the degree of the risks and the abnormalities found at previous colonoscopies. More recently, it has been recommended that even healthy people at normal risk for colon cancer should undergo colonoscopy at age 50 and every 20 years thereafter, for the purpose of removing colonic polyps before they become cancerous.
Sometimes, a colonoscopy is used to confirm the results of other tests, such as the faecal occult blood (FOB) test, which is used in routine screening and looks for hidden blood in your stool.
Dr Oshowo said, 'During the procedure, we may also remove any polyps (small growths of tissue) found on your bowel wall. Polyps are usually benign (not cancerous), but can become cancerous over a number of years. Most bowel cancers are thought to develop from a pre-existing polyp.
'The assessment of the gastro-intestinal tract is usually performed either under local anaesthetic spray or conscious sedation as a day case,' he said.
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