Posted on 04/28/2010 6:56:22 AM PDT by ConorMacNessa
A five-minute colon cancer test could reduce the number of deaths from the disease by about 40 percent, a new study says.
British researchers followed more than 170,000 people for about 11 years. Of those, more than 40,000 had a "flexi-scope" test, an exam that removes polyps, small growths that could become cancerous.
The test involves having a pen-sized tube inserted into the colon so doctors can identify and remove small polyps. Researchers used the test on people in their 50s. In the U.K., government-funded colon cancer screening doesn't start until age 60.
Researchers compared those results to more than 113,000 people who were not screened. They found the flexi-scope test reduced peoples' chances of getting colon cancer by one third. It also cut their chances of dying by 43 percent. Researchers said the test needed to be done just once in a person's lifetime.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
That way they save money, not peoples lives...................
if that's what they want to do.
is that Dollars or People we are saving?
The Colonoscopy every 10 yrs really isn’t that bad.
The day before is far, far worse than the Coloscopy!! In many ways, getting sedated and sleeping through the Coloscopy was the reward for doing what has to be done.
All in all, I’m going to guess that the ‘prep’ needs to be done whether you go with the flexi-scope every 5 yrs, or the Colonsocopy every 10 yrs. I don’t know about you, but I’m all for doing this only every 10 yrs for a 20 minute, sedated Colonscopy, instead of every 5 yrs with the flexi-scope.
Like I said - the day before is the worst part.
It IS a colonoscopy!!!
Just the same scope that’s been used in the U.S. for at least 10 years.
The problem under socialized medicine is they restrict access!!!
I’ve had two colonoscopies, three years apart. The doctor removed three pylops in the first and three in the second. This study looks to me like a great death panel justification.
We have those here they are called a Flex-sig or Flexible sigmoidoscopy. They only look at the very lower end not the entire colon. (That is where the majority of cancers are). These results compared a flex-sig to the fecal occult blood test not to colonoscopies. The blood stool test does nothing to prevent colon ca as it doesn’t detect or remove pre cancerous or early cancer polyps.
This study demonstrates how crappy government run health care is. All that talk of prevention to reduce cost is a lie.
Consider your health care and realize in the UK they don’t get routine colonscopies or flex-sig, they get a blood stool test only.
That is not our standard of health care.
I think the article is referring to a “sigmoidoscopy” which examines the lower intestine up to the sigmoid. A “colonoscopy” examines the upper and lower intestine. My doctor has recommended a five year interval on the sigmoidoscopy combined with the stool blood test annually. You need the same prep for the sigmoidoscopy as for the colonoscopy, but you aren’t sedated during the exam. I found it somewhat uncomfortable with a pretty bad abdominal cramping sensation. But it sure is better than the alternative (which killed my uncle).
I've had 5 colonoscopies in the past 10 years (as colon cancer has a good deal to do with genetics).
To date, I'm clean.
I don't care what they use to "see" in there...I'm asleep anyway when the "job is done" so to speak.
But this I can say...polyps have been found, biopsied, and been "non-cancerous" to date.
To the rest of you...especially males over 40 - GET IT DONE...AND GET IT DONE NOW!
Thanks.
Government funded screening doesn’t start until 60?
That is so bad. Here, if you have a member of your family that has had CA or bad polyps, the recommendation is ten years of age prior.
So if your family member had CA at 40, you should get a scope at 30. I’m not sure what the minimum age is, but 60 is way too high.
I had my first at 50 (symptomless) and I was almost completely blocked and had some bad cells in there.
Right now I have a good friend at death’s door with this. He is not 50.
Mine is scheduled for tomorrow. Today is going to be a blast (literally)!
I had three removed before 50 and one the next year. Two years after that were none and don't have to go back for 3 more years.
Wouldn't have liked my chances under the UK model...
Sometimes the colonoscopy does not perform so smooth. My wife had a terrible time. The original scope was too large and had to be replaced with the pediatric scope. She was conscious despite the sedation. Overall it was a very difficult experience for her.
I would rather have the colonscopy than flexiscope if the flexiscope can only see part of the colon. I had the colonscopy done twice with polyops found both times although not much in the second time.
Colonoscopy is 7 years now
“The day before is far, far worse than the Coloscopy!! In many ways, getting sedated and sleeping through the Coloscopy was the reward for doing what has to be done.”
Amen!The sleep is well worth all the prep the day before..
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