As we have reported before, a huge number of unnecessary deaths from colon cancer could be prevented if people routinely had their stools tested for blood for three days every year.
One can easily perform the test by oneself at home with a kit that is mailed to a laboratory. The kits, instructions for use, and mailers can be obtained from most doctors. If any of the three tests turn out to be positive, the person is advised to avoid red meat, raw vegetables, and iron-containing medicines for another three days, after which the testing is repeated. If any of the second series of tests is positive, the person is advised to visit a doctor for further investigation, such as X-rays and inspection of the colon through an instrument.
By these means about 95 percent of colorectal cancers can be detected early enough to be cured. The latest news on this appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine (312:1448), which mentioned another precaution that needs to be taken. To avoid “false negative” results, vitamin C supplements should not be taken for a few days before and during the time when one is testing the stools for blood. In other words, taking vitamin C during the tests can make it appear that one’s stools are free of blood when, in fact, they are not, so that a diagnosis of cancer can be missed.
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