Colonoscopy News and Research

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Colonoscopy is examination of the inside of the colon using a colonoscope, inserted into the rectum. A colonoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. It may also have a tool to remove tissue to be checked under a microscope for signs of disease.

Reducing cost for screening does not increase colorectal cancer screening rates

Making colonoscopy available at no cost to eligible Medicare beneficiaries under the Affordable Care Act did not increase the number of people in this target population who regularly undergo the procedure, says a new large scale national study from University Hospitals Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center.

17 Dec 2015

AGA issues six new clinical practice guidelines

In 2015, the American Gastroenterological Association issued six clinical practice guidelines, all published in AGA's official journal Gastroenterology, offering current, evidence-based point-of-care recommendations to guide physicians at the bedside.

17 Dec 2015

NYC’s colorectal cancer screening rates boosted and racial disparities eliminated

A concerted effort to increase colorectal cancer screening rates led to a dramatic increase in NYC screening colonoscopy rates among average-risk men and women and eliminated racial/ethnic disparities in screening

23 Nov 2015

New coalition formed to boost colorectal cancer screening rates in New York City

A coalition formed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene which included a team from Mount Sinai to increase colorectal cancer screening rates in New York City resulted in a 40 percent increase in screening rates over four years.

23 Nov 2015

New approach helps Group Health to increase rates of lifesaving screening for colon cancer

Mailing yearly stool kits--an alternative to the often-dreaded colonoscopy--has helped Group Health to boost rates of lifesaving screening for colon cancer, according to new research from Group Health Research Institute.

17 Nov 2015

Cancer survivors' journeys chronicled by Bethlehem artist and cancer survivor Susan Schaffer

Chronicling the journeys of cancer survivors, friends and family has been an emotional process, one filled with joy and shared sorrow for Bethlehem artist and cancer survivor Susan H. Schaffer. As part of her Visions of Hope series of acrylic paintings, Susan offers insight into the windows of the soul - her collection captures the eyes of the people willing to share their respective cancer journeys with her.

9 Nov 2015

GUMC study examines patients' most preferred methods for receiving common medical test results

The results of common medical tests are sometimes delivered to patients by email, letters or voice mail, but are these the most preferred methods? According to one of the first studies to look at this question, the answer is no.

31 Oct 2015

Cologuard stool DNA test: An accurate screening option for Alaska Native people with colorectal cancer

Cologuard stool DNA testing for colorectal cancer was found to be an accurate noninvasive screening option for Alaska Native people, a population with one of world's highest rates of colorectal cancer, concluded researchers from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and Mayo Clinic.

31 Oct 2015

Mayo Clinic cancer experts find gaps in current colorectal cancer screening approaches

Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death for men and women combined in the U.S. The goal of screening is to reduce the number of people who die from this common cancer. According to Mayo Clinic cancer experts there are gaps in current screening approaches in terms of detection accuracy, patient willingness to use them, and accessibility.

30 Oct 2015

Study shows vitamin D, calcium supplements fail to protect against colorectal cancer

A large, randomized study at 11 U.S. hospitals including Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center found that vitamin D and calcium supplements fail to protect against developing colorectal cancer.

16 Oct 2015

Sequenom signs clinical collaboration with University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf

Sequenom, Inc., a life sciences company committed to enabling healthier lives through the development of innovative products and services, today announced that it has entered into a clinical collaboration with University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) in Germany.

12 Oct 2015

New capsule form of FMT raises hopes for treating C. difficile infection

A new capsule form of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has raised hopes that this effective treatment for Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection and other bowel conditions might soon become mainstream. A recently-reported study confirmed that capsules containing a frozen suspension of faecal material harvested from healthy unrelated donors was well tolerated and effectively resolved diarrhoea in 90% of patients with difficult-to-treat C. difficile infection.

7 Oct 2015

Mercy open new Endoscopy Suite to promote and practice gastrointestinal health

Mercy Medical Center has announced the opening of a new, state-of-the-art Endoscopy Suite to promote and practice gastrointestinal health. The unique, high-tech suite is located on the 2nd floor of Mercy's Mary Catherine Bunting Center at 345 St. Paul Place. Bunting Endoscopy will be under the direction of Dr. Paul J. Thuluvath, Medical Director of The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health & Liver Disease at Mercy.

6 Oct 2015

Using integrated molecular pathology to manage incidental pancreatic cysts: an interview with Dr Ananya Das

Pancreatic cystic neoplasms, or PCNs, are a subset of all pancreatic cysts that are found on the pancreas. PCNs are neoplastic cysts that span a biological spectrum from benign to malignant.

15 Sep 2015

Patient position helps increase effectiveness of colonoscopy for CRC screening

Having patients lie on their left side while the right side of their colon is being examined can result in more polyps being found, thus increasing the effectiveness of colonoscopy for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, according to a study in the September issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).

14 Sep 2015

Tadpole Endoscope improves diagnostic procedures for various cancers

Engineers have developed a new medical device aimed at improving diagnostic procedures for various cancers: the Tadpole Endoscope (TE).

14 Sep 2015

New risk assessment scoring system may help physicians select screening tests for colorectal cancer

Researchers at the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine have developed a new risk assessment scoring system that could help physicians judge which patients can forgo invasive colonoscopy testing for cancer screening and which should receive the test.

11 Sep 2015

Penns' Abramson Cancer Center rated as 'exceptional' by NCI

The University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center (ACC) has received an "exceptional" rating by the National Cancer Institute during an extensive peer-review process for its five-year competitive research support grant. The rating is the highest possible for an NCI cancer center.

9 Sep 2015

Longer-lasting colonoscopies associated with lower cancer rates

If a colonoscopy seems like the type of thing you'd like to get done with quickly, think again. Research by a Veterans Affairs team has confirmed that longer-lasting colonoscopies are associated with lower cancer rates.

26 Aug 2015

Researchers find way to screen blood samples to detect presence of precancerous polyps in the colon

Canadian researchers have found a way to screen blood samples for molecular traces that indicate the presence of precancerous polyps in the colon, a key warning sign for colon cancer. Their results, published this week in the journal Biomedical Optics Express, from The Optical Society, may yield a cheaper and less invasive initial screening test for colon cancer that could complement colonoscopy, though further clinical trials will need to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the blood test before it is routinely used.

25 Aug 2015