Colonoscopy may reduce the risk of dying of colorectal cancer by as much as 50%, but there’s a catch: It only works if you get the scan.
Colonoscopies are a dreaded rite of passage for many middle-age adults. The promise has been that if you endure the awkwardness and invasiveness of having a camera travel the length of your large intestine once every decade after age 45, you have the best chance of catching – and perhaps preventing – colorectal cancer. It’s the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. Some 15 million colonoscopies are performed in the US each year.
The researchers say they’re going to continue to follow participants for another five years. It could be that because colon cancers can be slow-growing, more time will help refine their results and may show bigger benefits for colonoscopy screening. Results need careful interpretation Normally, those kinds of disappointing results from such a large, strong study would be considered definitive enough to change medical practice.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Top House staffers are still overwhelmingly white, study findsWASHINGTON — The senior aides who hold the most sway with members of Congress have grown more diverse in recent years, but still not nearly as diverse as the nation as a whole.
Read more »
Study Finds 7 Healthy Lifestyle Habits May Reduce Dementia Risk for People With DiabetesA good night’s sleep, social contact, and exercise among healthy habits. A combination of seven healthy lifestyle habits was associated with a lower risk of dementia in people with type 2 diabetes. These habits included sleeping seven to nine hours daily, exercising regularly, and having frequent s
Read more »
Asian and Native American female lawyers get the least amount of big law business, study findsAsian and Native American lawyers are chosen least often by corporations looking to hire counsel, a new study found.
Read more »
Climate change made this summer's drought 20 times more likely, study finds
Read more »
Taking 10K steps may be associated with reduction in risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease deaths: studyAccording to a study, taking as many as 10,000 steps each day could be associated with a reduction in the risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Read more »