Colonoscopy Screening Every 10 Years Could Prevent 40 Percent of Colorectal Cancers

Anton Bilchik MD suggests patients have a colonoscopy, once every ten years, to screen for colorectal cancer. Now a new study underscores Dr. Bilchik’s suggestion, showing that a colonoscopy screening every decade could prevent 40 percent of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer, which is cancer of the colon or rectum, is the second leading cancer-related death for men and women in the United States. It is also the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the United States. In 2010, doctors diagnosed 131,607 American men and women with this disease.

Anton Bilchik suggests colonoscopy screening for men and women beginning at age 50. In 2008, 62.9 percent of adults aged 50 to 75 had colonoscopies, as recommended. About 22 million Americans are not current with their colonoscopy screenings.

Colorectal cancer starts as harmless polyps inside the lower part of your intestine, known as the colon, or your rectum. Most of these polyps remain harmless, but a few can turn cancerous over the years. Colonoscopy allows doctors to visualize these polyps and take biopsies to send to the lab for evaluation. Doctors can remove suspicious polyps during colonoscopy.

In the study, researchers analyzed data from 88,902 participants in two long-term studies: the Nurses’ Health Study, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. The scientists documented 1,815 cases of colorectal cancer, and 474 deaths from the disease. The researchers found that colonoscopy was associated with a decreased risk for developing colorectal cancer or dying from the disease. The scientists also estimated colonoscopy could have prevented 40 percent of colorectal cancer cases in this group.

Anton Bilchik strongly recommends all adults over the age of 50 have colonoscopy screening at least once every ten years.