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.

Colonic tissue may help predict Parkinson's disease

Two studies by neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center suggest that, in the future, colonic tissue obtained during either colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy may be used to predict who will develop Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder of aging that that leads to progressive deterioration of motor function due to loss of neurons in the brain that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential to executing movement.

16 May 2012

Flexpoint obtains purchase order for disposable colonoscope device

Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc., a leader in design and supply of thin film sensing technology, announced today that they have received a purchase order for the a disposable colonoscope device.

15 May 2012

New research about why people forego colorectal cancer screening

New research about why people forego colorectal cancer (CRC) screening suggests that three fears play a significant role; fear of embarrassment, fear of getting AIDS and fear of pain may make some seniors skip the potentially lifesaving tests.

5 May 2012

Hispanics more likely to develop precancerous colorectal polyps

Blacks and Hispanics have a significantly higher risk of developing precancerous colorectal polyps compared with whites, according to a study by researchers at NewYork - Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.

4 May 2012

Research roundup: Practice guidelines may not stop defensive medicine; English language ability tied to hospital readmission rates

The Value of Clinical Practice Guidelines As Malpractice "Safe Harbors" -- Overspending on health care has frequently been attributed to doctors practicing defensive medicine -- ordering extra tests, for example -- so that they avoid malpractice lawsuits. The authors of this brief write that while some have said clinical guidelines "should give caregivers a liability 'safe harbor,' shielding them from any malpractice claim for failing to provide services not included in the guideline."

27 Apr 2012

Large study examines diagnostic yield of colonoscopy to investigate melena

A new study from researchers in Oregon reports that the diagnostic yield of colonoscopy to investigate melena after a nondiagnostic upper endoscopy is lower, 4.8 percent, than previously reported. The rate of therapeutic intervention in this population is very low; therefore, patients with melena and a nondiagnostic upper endoscopy who are stable and without evidence of ongoing bleeding may be able to safely undergo elective colonoscopy.

18 Apr 2012

Research explores power of offering colon cancer screening options

Researchers find that when given a choice of methods, more people will opt to get screened for colon cancer. Meanwhile, a separate study found that insurance coverage of lung cancer screenings for high-risk patients could prevent -- at a low cost -- thousands of deaths annually.

12 Apr 2012

Lung cancer screening could be cost effective: Study finds

A new study shows that screening longtime tobacco users for lung cancer would be less costly than the widely accepted practice of screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers and would reduce the death toll of lung cancer by an estimated 15,000 lives a year.

11 Apr 2012

Low-dose spiral CT cost-effective in reducing lung cancer deaths

Lung cancer is the most lethal cancer in the United States. According to the National Cancer Institute, lung cancer causes more than 150,000 deaths annually and has a survival rate of 16 percent. More Americans die of lung cancer each year than of cervical, breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.

10 Apr 2012

DDW to be held May 19-22 in San Diego

Thousands of physicians, researchers and academics from around the world will gather in San Diego in May for Digestive Disease Week- (DDW), the premiere scientific conference in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.

6 Apr 2012

Negative link between obesity and colon cancer screening in white women

A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers shows that obese white women may be less likely than normal-weight counterparts and African-Americans of any weight or gender to seek potentially lifesaving colon cancer screening tests.

5 Apr 2012

ASN participates in ABIM Foundation's Choosing Wisely campaign

The American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the world's leading kidney organization, joins the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation, eight other leading national medical specialty societies, and Consumer Reports in the new Choosing Wisely campaign that helps health care professionals and patients avoid wasteful and sometimes harmful medical interventions.

5 Apr 2012

Multimarker molecular stool test for colon cancer unaffected by medication, lifestyle factors

Research on an investigational DNA methylation test for colorectal cancer demonstrated that the only clinical variable that influenced test results was age, according to results presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012, held here March 31 - April 4.

4 Apr 2012

Researchers discover two optimal gene targets for new colorectal cancer test

A study presented today by Mayo Clinic researchers at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2012 in Chicago identified two genes that are optimal targets to be analyzed in a new noninvasive test for colorectal cancer developed by Mayo Clinic, in collaboration with Exact Sciences Corporation.

4 Apr 2012

UH clinical trial to evaluate stool DNA testing for colon cancer

In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, physician-scientists at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center's Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine are studying a promising new non-invasive technology for colon cancer screening. The four-year study is recruiting patients to compare the effectiveness of stool DNA (SDNA) testing with colonoscopy for detecting large colon polyps.

31 Mar 2012

Improper preparation for colonoscopy hides pre-cancerous polyps

What happens on the day before a colonoscopy may be just as important as the colon-screening test itself.

28 Mar 2012

Well-balanced diet and exercise can prevent colorectal cancer

When Dessa Ledet repeatedly experienced pain on the right of her body, she never dreamed she would hear the words "you have cancer" when she woke up from a colonoscopy. In fact, she didn't believe that almost three years after her diagnosis she would run in MD Anderson's seventh annual Sprint for Colorectal Oncology Prevention and Education (SCOPE) Run on Saturday, March 24.

26 Mar 2012