There are many ways to detect if someone has colon cancer. FOBT or sigmoidoscpopy are just some of the tests that can be done to detect colon cancer. Studies and the actual surveillance of the people that suffer from colon cancer has proven that the earlier this type of cancer is detected, the better results in improvement of life expectancy in colon cancer patients is seen.

For example, three control trials which are randomized, all of them using a specific FOBT test kit have shown serious reductions in death risks from colon cancer. People who were periodically FOBT screening reduced the risk of dying from colon cancer from fifteen percent to almost thirty five percent. Furthermore, two European attempts that randomized colon cancer patients before they gave their agreement to take part in using bennial screening, resulted in almost twenty percent reductions in the mortality rate of those colon cancer patients. Moreover, similar tests have also been made in many other non- European countries using volunteers. Rehydrated test cards were used in this case and the rate of death from colon cancer after eighteen years was almost thirty percent lower in these colon cancer patients who were also advise to undergo FOBT screening every year. Biennial screening also showed to reduce the mortality rate by almost twenty percent. Of course, other trials have also been made in different

countries. However, the results were a little bit different, but improvement was shown. In some countries, after these trials, no significant reduction of mortality rate has been shown, but improvement was seen in those colon cancer patients.

Sigmoidoscopy is another screening test in colon cancer cases. Although, there is limited evidence of the efectivness of this colon cancer test right away, better results are expected to be seen in five years time. Studies have been made in colon cancer patients that were given rigid sigmoidoscopy tests and the results were amazing. The risk of dying from colon cancer after using this test was reduced to an amazing sixty percent. Other tests have then been made to verify this result and all the out comings were similar. Furthermore, more studies have also been undergone, but this time using a more flexible instrument and the results were pretty much the same as in the studies that were made using rigid instruments. So, even if results are not seen right away in this colon cancer test, in five years time the improvement is amazing.