Do You Need a Colonoscopy to Prevent Colon Cancer?

Colon Cancer Symptoms in Women - Fewer and fewer people are dying from colon cancer, it used to be a big killer, but today thanks to early screening doctors are catching it in time and preventing polyps from becoming cancerous. It has been recommended that when you turn 45 to 50 years old you should go in for screening. If they don't find any polyps, you are probably good for another 10 years. There are some people who go in every five years, but now it appears that is too often, and perhaps not needed.

This should be a sign of relief because no one really wants to go in to get a colonoscopy. You can understand why without me explain it here in this article. So does that mean colon cancer is not as serious as it once was? Oh no, it's still very serious, it's just that if it's caught early it can be prevented or treated without it becoming to life-threatening. It used to be this type of cancer was almost a death sentence, it's not that way anymore.

There was an interesting article recently in the Wall Street Journal on May 10, 2011 titled "New Study Questions Colonoscopy Frequency" by Katherine Hobson and posted onto the "Best of Health Blog" section. The article stated that researchers discovered that the over use of these procedures, and that if no polyps are found there is really no need to do another colonoscopy for 10-years.

The research seems to coincide with Medicare cuts on reimbursements, and on their current policies. Likewise, colonoscopies are not exactly the most happiest of things you can do at a doctor's office or hospital if you smell what I mean. Okay so, apparently with these results you should be able to go in and get a colonoscopy and if nothing is found and everything looks good (correct), you won't need to go in again for about 10 years or more.

The American Cancer Society has confirmed these reports and research in its own data. There are some other things you should probably know that you can find out online quite easily. There are certain types of vegetables and foods with antioxidants that you can eat to help further reduce your risk of getting colon cancer.

Therefore you should, why take any risks? Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it. If you run across to anymore interesting research on this topic I would please ask that you shoot me an e-mail and point me to the study.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 23,100 articles was a lot of work - because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off...

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Virtual colonoscopy and teleradiology in rural areas

Medicineworld.org: Virtual colonoscopy and teleradiology in rural areas


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Computed tomography colonography (CTC) otherwise known as virtual colonoscopy is feasible in remote health centers where optimal colonoscopy is limited, as per a research studyin the recent issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (www.ajronline.org).

The study waccording toformed at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital in Fort Defiance, AZ, and Tuba City Regional Health Care Center in Tuba City, AZ, both of which are rural medical centers serving Native American, mainly Navajo, populations. After brief on-site instruction, including performing a CTC examination on a volunteer to train the CT technologists, both sites began performing CTC.

"A total of 321 studies were transferred to the University of Arizona Hospital for evaluation, with reports returned via a teleradiology information system. Overall image quality evaluation of stool, fluid and distention revealed that about 92 percent of patients had diagnostic quality examinations with respect to each image quality parameter," said Arnold C. Friedman, MD, main author of the study.

"Optical colonoscopy in a number of rural areas is limited. Availability of CTC permits access to a robust method of colorectal screening for rural patients," said Friedman.

"Our results show that CTC can be introduced with minimal effort to rural undeserved communities, adequately performed locally, and then interpreted remotely. However, important aspects of implementation should include technologist training, referring doctor education, careful attention to image transmission and clearly defined methods of communication with patients and referring providers," he said.

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Did you know?
Computed tomography colonography (CTC) otherwise known as virtual colonoscopy is feasible in remote health centers where optimal colonoscopy is limited, as per a research studyin the recent issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (www.ajronline.org). The study waccording toformed at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital in Fort Defiance, AZ, and Tuba City Regional Health Care Center in Tuba City, AZ, both of which are rural medical centers serving Native American, mainly Navajo, populations. After brief on-site instruction, including performing a CTC examination on a volunteer to train the CT technologists, both sites began performing CTC.
Medicineworld.org: Virtual colonoscopy and teleradiology in rural areas

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