If your doctor has recommended that you have colon cancer screening, schedule the appointment as soon as possible. If you're avoiding a colonoscopy, you should know that there are other cancer screening methods that your doctor can use. However, you should know that colonoscopies are the most effective method for identifying colon cancer. If you're not sure that you need colon cancer screening, read the list provided below. If you fall into any of the categories listed below, schedule a colon cancer screening as soon as possible.

You've Had Precancerous Polyps

If you've had a previous cancer screening that identified precancerous polyps, or you've recovered from a previous case of colon cancer, it's important that you receive routine cancer screenings. Colon cancer can return, even after you've gone into remission. Not only that, but precancerous polyps can also return. Unfortunately, not all polyps are precancerous. Some polyps can become cancerous. When cancer is present, colon cancer screening can catch it quick enough to begin treatment in a timely manner. 

Your Family Has a History of Cancer

If someone in your family has been diagnosed with cancer, it's important that you undergo routine colon cancer screening. You might not know this, but your risk for colon cancer increases when you have a family member who has also been diagnosed with cancer. The best way to diagnose cancer, and begin treatment quickly, is to undergo routine colon cancer screening. 

You Carry the Colon Cancer Gene

If you've undergone genetic testing and discovered that you carry the cancer gene, don't wait to begin your routine screenings. Carrying the cancer gene increases your risk for being diagnosed with cancer at some point in your life. That's why cancer screening is so important, especially where colon cancer screening is concerned. Colon cancer screening allows doctors to track your colon health and catch colon cancer while it's still easily treated. 

You Have an Existing Bowel Disorder

If you've been diagnosed with an inflammatory bowel disorder such as Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis, it's time to schedule your colon cancer screening. You might not think that those disorders increase your need for colon cancer screening, but that's not the case. Colon cancer screenings, especially colonoscopies, give your doctor a better view of your colon, and rectum. This process not only allows for proper cancer screening, it also gives your doctor the opportunity to track the progress of your inflammatory bowel condition.