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"I’ve noticed that too. “Mammograms/ not as important as once thought.” “Colonoscopies - can be replaced with previous test/ not as important as once thought.”

Anecdote from personal experience:

About 25 years ago, my brother had an episode that involved colon blockage, discovery of a "mass" and removal of about a foot of his intestine. My good friend, who is an internal medicine MD suggested that it would be a good idea for me to get a scope, since I was well past 40 at the time and now had the added risk factor of family history.

Without getting ~too~ graphic, let's just say that I had "some trouble" with having the sigmoid scope in the doctor's office. "No problem!" says he. "We'll just sedate you and use the full-length endoscope." Insurance approval was quick and easy.

The payoff? They found (and removed) a polyp the size of a golf ball which would not have been discovered on the routine test.

The polyp was pre-cancerous but with regular follow-ups and a new found taste for oatmeal, broccoli and the like, there has been no recurrence.

My point is that I do not believe myself to be particularly unique, especially after relating this experience with other men my own age. The curtailment of these kinds of "unnecessary" tests is going to result in a lot of advanced and sometimes inoperable cancers that would otherwise be nipped in the bud.

But then perhaps their ultimate goal is one worthy of Scrooge at the waning of the season - "Let them die and decrease the surplus population."

Yes indeed if any family members have had polyps or colon cancer get your colonoscopy in your 30s. Don’t wait until your 40s like I did. Thank God the Army started doing yearly mandatory physical exams a few years back. They did stool card tests and found blood. The colonoscopy revealed a cancerous mass and a few weeks later had the surgery to remove a portion of my colon. Pathology report revealed stage 3A colon cancer. Which means it penetrated quite a few layers of lymph nodes. Did the chemo for six months and a clean bill since.

Moral of the story is if you have a family history of colon cancer or colon polyps get checked out early don’t wait until you are 40.

I will also note what you said. The colonoscopy was easy. The give you phentenol and you won’t remember anything. The hardest part for some is the bowl prep.