Colorectal Cancer Screening Program

The Colorectal Cancer Screening Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Digestive Disease Institute specializes in preventing colorectal cancer (cancer of the rectum or colon) and identifying signs of colorectal cancer at the earliest possible stage by offering expert screening to the community. Our program offers innovative and advanced colorectal cancer screening techniques, and we are the UAE’s largest artificial Intelligence (AI) colonoscopy center, meaning more accurate and efficient screening, earlier detection and ultimately, better outcomes for patients.

Early detection reduces the need for surgery or other interventions and improves patient outcomes. There are two main goals of colorectal cancer screening. The first is to identify precancerous lesions, called polyps. Polyps can be removed safely during colonoscopy without surgery to prevent colorectal cancer cells from forming. The second goal is to identify cancers at an early stage, making it possible to give the patient the required treatment at the right time and be cured from colorectal cancer.

The Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi provides comprehensive, Patients First care across a wide spectrum of colorectal conditions. The colorectal cancer screening team offers the latest therapies from expert gastroenterologists, therapeutic colonoscopists and colorectal surgeons to help patients progress quickly from diagnosis to treatment.

What We Treat

Large colorectal polyps are benign precancerous polyps that can be removed by therapeutic colonosocpists during a colonoscopy to prevent colorectal cancer and the need for surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.

Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that affects the colon (large intestine) or the rectum. Colon or rectal cancer are types of colorectal cancer in which cells in the either the colon or rectum grow out of control. This usually starts with the growth of benign tumors, also known as polyps, that become cancerous over time. Colorectal cancer screening helps ensure early, successful treatment.

As the symptoms of colorectal cancer rarely appear until the later stages of the disease, when it is more difficult to treat, screening can help detect it as soon as possible, with up to 90% of cases being successfully cured if detected early.

For this reason, screening is seen as an essential, proactive step to identifying colorectal cancer early. For patients who do experience symptoms, the most common symptoms of colorectal cancer include:

• Rectal bleeding or blood in the stool.
• A change in normal bowel movements (diarrhea, constipation, or both for more than 2 weeks).
• Abdominal pain.
• Unexplained weight loss or anemia.

It is also important for patients with a family history of colorectal polyps or family history of colorectal cancer to get screened to protect them from colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer has been linked to diet, particularly one that includes large amounts of red or processed meat, obesity, smoking and lack of exercise. Several of these risk factors are widespread throughout the UAE and other countries in the GCC.

Colorectal Cancer Screening Saves Lives

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Diagnosis Using Colorectal Cancer Screening

Because most patients with colorectal polyps or cancer do not have any symptoms, it is important to be screened regularly. There are several ways to screen for colorectal cancer for patients at average risk, including:

• Stool test: A test that involves sending a stool sample to a laboratory, where it is examined for signs of colorectal cancer, such as blood in the stool.
• Colonoscopy: A procedure that detects and removes polyps in the colon.

Colonoscopy is the gold standard, and the recommended method for screening for colorectal polyps, is a colonoscopy. Performed in the hospital as an outpatient procedure, a colonoscopy involves using a flexible tube to transmit images of the inside of the colon. During a colonoscopy procedure, the patient is placed under general anesthesia, so most patients do not feel any discomfort during or after the procedure. Patients often report that the most difficult part of the process is the bowel preparation, which involves taking laxatives the day before to clean out the patient’s bowels.

Artificial Intelligence and colonoscopy

Technological innovations have improved the precision and effectiveness of colorectal cancer diagnosis by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in colonoscopy. AI in colonoscopy is not replacing the doctor as the human operator but rather, it's an aiding tool to improve the process and patient outcomes.

Benefit of using AI Colonoscopy:

• AI software can analyze vast amounts of data in real-time.
• Provides enhanced detection accuracy, as the AI algorithms can analyze endoscopic imagery and identify subtle abnormalities that might go unnoticed by the human eye.
• Improve the quality of the colonoscopy and reduce the number of missed polyps known as the ‘polyp miss rate’, which in term can lead to better patient outcomes.
• Reduces the risk of cancer: Early and accurate detection of polyps is crucial because some polyps can develop into cancer if left untreated. By enhancing the precision of polyp detection, AI-endoscopy can play a pivotal role in the early diagnosis and subsequent removal of precancerous polyps, significantly reducing the chances of them progressing to a malignancy.

Our program offers the largest AI endoscopy center in the UAE. Every Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Endoscopy suite where a colonoscopy procedure takes place has this advanced diagnostic tool available, ensuring all patients have access to earlier, more accurate detection of colorectal cancer and better prevention of the disease. Learn more about AI and endoscopy here.

Treatment Using Colorectal Cancer Screening

One important benefit of a colonoscopy is that a polyp can be removed as soon as it is found, during the procedure. The objective is to prevent the polyp from potentially developing into colorectal cancer in the future. Where cancer is identified, interventional endoscopists and fellowship-trained colorectal surgeons of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program offer the latest interventional technology and minimally invasive surgical options. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is a leader in robotically-assisted colon surgery, which allows physicians better dexterity during the operation and greatly reduces patient recovery time.