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.

Lack of screening may be behind the increased risk of colon cancer among Black people

Black people have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than white people, but this risk is likely not due to genetics.

10 Jun 2021

Researchers to develop new technology to detect and remove cancer tumors

New technology that will marry probes that can detect cancer tumors through the skin with high-precision robotic surgery is to be developed for use in hospital settings for the first time in a project led by the University of Warwick.

7 Jun 2021

Should colorectal cancer screening start at age 45?

Colorectal cancer rates among young adults are steadily increasing over the years. The United States Task Force has long recommended that people aged 50 to 75 get screened. Now, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its 2016 recommendation of colorectal screening for people aged 50, down to 45 years old. The five-year earlier screening can save many lives by allowing earlier diagnosis and treatment of the condition.

21 May 2021

New publication details strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. health insurance system

A landmark work that details the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. health insurance system, including how it lags behind those of other wealthy countries in measures that include mortality from both preventable and treatable causes, has been published.

12 May 2021

Study shows possible link between intestinal polyps in close relatives and colorectal cancer risk

Cancer of the colon and rectum is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and has in recent years affected growing numbers of young people.

4 May 2021

Disparities exist in colorectal cancer screenings, study finds

Patients with one or more health conditions are more likely to be screened for colorectal cancer than those without comorbidities, according to new research in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine.

3 May 2021

Medicare could save nearly $500 million per year by reducing use of low-value preventive care services

A UCLA-led study shows that physicians frequently order preventive medical services for adult Medicare beneficiaries that are considered unnecessary and of "low value" by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force -; at a cost of $478 million per year.

29 Apr 2021

1 in 6 patients with colorectal cancer found to have inherited genetic mutations

A new Mayo Clinic study bolsters evidence that colorectal cancer is often imprinted in family genes and passed on from one generation to the next.

20 Apr 2021

Study uncovers molecular reason why fecal transplants effectively treat C. difficile infections

Experts have uncovered a new molecular reason why faecal transplants are highly effective in treating infections such as C. difficile (a nasty bacteria that can infect the bowel), which could lead to more targeted treatments for this and other similar diseases.

9 Apr 2021

FDA approves marketing of first AI-based device to assist clinicians during colon cancer screening

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized marketing of the GI Genius, the first device that uses artificial intelligence (AI) based on machine learning to assist clinicians in detecting lesions (such as polyps or suspected tumors) in the colon in real time during a colonoscopy.

9 Apr 2021

Screenings for breast cancer and colon cancer returned to near-normal levels by July 2020

Screenings for breast cancer and colon cancer dropped dramatically during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, but use of the procedures returned to near-normal levels by the end of July 2020, according to a new study.

23 Mar 2021

Changes to gut microbiome help melanoma patients respond to immunotherapy

Statistical modeling developed by Oregon State University researchers has confirmed that changes to melanoma patients' gut microbiome led them to respond to a type of treatment capable of providing long-term benefit.

16 Feb 2021

Take-at-home tests increase colorectal cancer screening rates by more than 1,000%

Colorectal cancer screening rates jumped by more than 1,000 percent when researchers sent take-at-home tests to patients overdue for testing at a community health center that predominantly serves people of color.

8 Feb 2021

Fecal transplant overcomes resistance to immunotherapy in melanoma patients

Researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute demonstrate that changing the gut microbiome can transform patients with advanced melanoma who never responded to immunotherapy-;which has a failure rate of 40% for this type of cancer-;into patients who do.

5 Feb 2021

Delayed time between abnormal stool-based screening and colonoscopy increases cancer risk

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality among men and women in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. At-home tests, which measure blood in stool as a potential marker for colon cancer, are often used for colorectal cancer screening.

3 Feb 2021

Delaying colonoscopy after an abnormal stool test can have major consequences

A new Veterans Affairs study finds that delays in undergoing colonoscopy following an abnormal stool test increase the risk of a colorectal cancer diagnosis and cancer-related death.

2 Feb 2021

FIT test can help identify people with higher risk of colorectal cancer

New research has demonstrated that a simple, cheap test can help identify who is at risk of developing colorectal cancer, aiding early diagnosis and potentially saving lives.

19 Jan 2021

Many health plans now must cover full cost of expensive HIV prevention drugs

Ted Howard started taking Truvada a few years ago because he wanted to protect himself against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. But the daily pill was so pricey he was seriously thinking about giving it up.

5 Jan 2021

Children’s hospitals are partly to blame as superbugs increasingly attack kids

A memory haunts Christina Fuhrman: the image of her toddler Pearl lying pale and listless in a hospital bed, tethered to an IV to keep her hydrated as she struggled against a superbug infection.

4 Jan 2021

Virtual telehealth platform enables kidney transplant evaluation from home

A virtual telehealth platform is allowing the surgery program at the Medical University of South Carolina to evaluate and wait-list patients for kidney transplantation despite reductions in direct, in-person health care visits brought about by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

21 Dec 2020