Sigmoidoscopy News and Research

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Sigmoidoscopy is the examination of the lower colon using a sigmoidoscope, inserted into the rectum. A sigmoidoscope 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. Also called proctosigmoidoscopy.

Mailing test results to patient’s home increase colon cancer screening rates by 40%

Colon cancer screening rates increased by nearly 40 percent when free stool tests were mailed to patients' homes, according to results of a pilot study published today in the journal BMC Cancer.

27 Feb 2014

Researchers recommend FIT as screening tool for colorectal cancer

Tests that require patients to collect a single stool sample at home and then send it to a lab for analysis will detect about 79 percent of colorectal cancers, according to a new evidence review published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

4 Feb 2014

Colorectal cancer screening rates remain too low, reveals new Vital Signs report

Colorectal cancer screening rates remain too low, with about one in three adults (ages 50 to 75 years) not being tested for colorectal cancer, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

6 Nov 2013

Combining fecal immunological test and colonoscopy may improve detection of colorectal cancer

A strategy that combines two effective colorectal cancer screening methods, fecal immunological test and colonoscopy, may improve prevention and detection of colorectal cancer and reduce costs, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association.

28 Aug 2013

Endoscopic imaging: an interview with Len Farris, Vice President of Marketing, Americas, PENTAX Medical

The impact of endoscopic imaging on patient care has been enormous since the first fiber optic systems were introduced more than 50 years ago. Today, high resolution and high definition systems are used to provide clinicians and patients unprecedented images from inside the body.

From PENTAX Medical Company 3 Jul 2013

AGA, CDC partner to promote free colonoscopies for uninsured patients

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women nationwide. During National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) are joining forces for the second year to promote free colonoscopies for uninsured patients.

19 Mar 2013

Screening colonoscopy associated with reduced advanced colorectal cancer diagnoses

A new study led by a researcher at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania adds support to current medical recommendations stating that screening colonoscopy substantially reduces an average-risk adult's likelihood of being diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) in either the right or left side of the colon.

4 Mar 2013

Electronic health records increase colorectal cancer screening rates

Researchers used electronic health records to identify Group Health patients who weren't screened regularly for cancer of the colon and rectum-and to encourage them to be screened. This centralized, automated approach doubled these patients' rates of on-time screening-and saved health costs-over two years.

4 Mar 2013

Surgeons make thousands of errors every year

So-called 'never events' happen more than 4,000 times a year, according to a study by Johns Hopkins researchers. Another report finds health care workers just as likely as people they treat to be overweight, avoid the dentist, get sunburned and not wear seatbelts.

21 Dec 2012

Tofacitinib drug shows promise against moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis

An investigational drug currently under FDA review for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis has now shown positive results in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego, School of Medicine.

16 Aug 2012

Antioxidants and pancreatic cancer risk: an interview with Dr Andrew Hart

The antioxidants that we mainly looked at were selenium, vitamin C and vitamin E. They are chemicals which inactivate pro-oxidants or free radicals. Smoking and normal metabolism can lead to the production of free radicals.

30 Jul 2012

Flat polyps may explain colorectal cancer screening discrepancy

Poor ability to detect sessile serrated polyps may explain why endoscopy is more effective at reducing cancer in the distal than the proximal colon, US researchers have discovered.

27 Jun 2012

Flexible sigmoidoscopy reduces deaths due to colorectal cancer

Research conducted at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as part of a national study reveals that flexible sigmoidoscopy — a screening test for colorectal cancer that is less invasive and has fewer side-effects than colonoscopy — reduces deaths due to colorectal cancer.

23 May 2012

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

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

Colorectal cancer screening rates higher in population with multiple morbidities

A study by University of Kentucky researchers showed that in Appalachia, colorectal cancer screening rates were higher in the population with multiple morbidities or diseases compared to those who had no morbidities at all.

21 Mar 2012

Colon cancer screening guidelines released

According to a new guidance statement from the American College of Physicians all adults should get screened for colon cancer once they get older to reduce their risk of dying from the nation's number two cancer killer.

7 Mar 2012

Congress urged to pass 'Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2012'

Colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening saves lives, but a loophole in current Medicare law may cause patients to think twice before undergoing this vital test. Legislation introduced today seeks to ensure that colorectal cancer screening for all Medicare beneficiaries is free, as intended.

2 Mar 2012

Fewer getting screened for common cancers: CDC report

According to federal health officials last Thursday, the number of Americans being screened for colon, breast and cervical cancers still fall below national targets.

30 Jan 2012