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.

Study provides evidence supporting recommended 10 year interval for colonoscopies for most patients

Patients with a negative colonoscopy examination have a reduced risk of developing colorectal cancer for more than 10 years, compared to the general population, according to a study in the May 24/31 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

23 May 2006

Benefits of screening colonoscopy in very elderly

Even though the prevalence of colon tumors increases with age, screening colonoscopy in patients over 80 years of age results in smaller gains in life expectancy, compared to younger patients.

23 May 2006

CT colonography even safer than previously thought

The safety profile for CT colonography (CTC) is extremely favorable, particularly for the purposes of screening patients with no symptoms and when distending the colon using an automated carbon dioxide technique, a finding that goes against the higher complication rates for CTC reported by other groups, according to a new study.

3 May 2006

Alcohol use, tobacco use and male gender associated with an earlier onset of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths, according to background information in the article. Screening asymptomatic patients is an important strategy for reducing these deaths, because by the time patients experience symptoms, the cancer may have progressed beyond the point where it can be cured.

11 Apr 2006

Earlier onset of colorectal cancer associated with alcohol use, tobacco use and male gender

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States yet it is one of the most preventable forms of the disease.

28 Mar 2006

Doctors fail to recommend colon cancer tests for low-income patients

Fewer than nine out of 10 low-income, medically underserved minority patients at risk for colorectal cancer receive a recommendation for colorectal cancer screening by physicians at government-supported community health centers

24 Feb 2006

New system accurately predicts mortality of older Americans

Researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center have created an index that is 81 percent accurate in predicting the likelihood of death within four years for people 50 and older.

20 Feb 2006

Eating chicken may reduce colon cancer risk

A recent study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology revealed that patterns in diet may effect the development of colorectal adenomas, or precancerous polyps of the colon.

19 Dec 2005

Women more at risk for colorectal cancer

A new study of gender and risk factors for colorectal cancer reveals that while both tobacco and alcohol increase risk for colorectal cancer, women who smoke are at higher risk.

1 Nov 2005

Preventing bowel cancer in high risk families

Bowel cancer rates could be reduced by up to 80 per cent in people with a moderate family history of the disease by screening with colonoscopy, according to new research published in the British Medical Journal.

26 Oct 2005

Colorectal cancer screening rates remain low

Investigators failed to see improvement in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates among patients enrolled in a managed care health plan after testing the effectiveness of a CRC screening promotion program targeting the physician organizations (POs).

10 Oct 2005

CT colonography best choice for regular screening for cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in most developed countries. Screening for colorectal malignancies and polyps (which frequently become cancerous) has been shown to lower the number of deaths from cancer. Most cancer societies and preventive task forces recommend regular screening for cancer of the colon.

10 Oct 2005

Colorectal cancer screening rates are too low

An intervention program designed to promote screening for colorectal cancer – and thereby decrease the number of cancers diagnosed - failed to increase screening rates in the managed care setting, a University of California - Los Angeles study has found.

10 Oct 2005

Enhanced imaging techniques could improve medical diagnosis

Chris Wyatt is a Virginia Tech electrical engineer who is attempting to provide the medical community with better, quicker, and more relevant images of the human body. The side effects are not bad either - lower medical costs, new treatments, and earlier disease detection.

19 Sep 2005

Vimentin marker detects colon cancer in 46 percent of patients

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the Ireland Cancer Center of University Hospitals of Cleveland report identifying a new DNA gene marker, vimentin, that was shown in a recent study to be three times more effective in detecting colon cancer than the standard doctor's office test that detects blood in the stool.

2 Aug 2005

Women's preference for female colonoscopists hinders colon cancer screening

In a study conducted by researchers at the Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and published in the current (August) issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (GIE) by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), 43% of the women who were asked their preference of a male or female endoscopist said female, while only 1.4% said male and the rest had no preference.

2 Aug 2005