Tagged with “colonoscopy”

Colon Cancer Risk Very Low Five Years After Negative Colonoscopy

When patients were retested five years after a negative colonoscopy, none had colon or rectal cancer and very few had a worrisome advanced polyp. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on September 18th, 2008
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: colonoscopy, screening

New Technique Provides Microscopic Images of Suspicious Polyps During Colonoscopy

News from Digestive Disease Week 2008

A tiny microscope, less than one-sixteenth of an inch, attached to the end of the instrument used for a colonoscopy can provide magnified pictures of cells and small blood vessels in suspicious lesions allowing doctors to make on-the-spot decisions about whether a polyp is benign or precancerous.

The technique — confocal endomicroscopy — can identify benign polyps 98 percent of the time, avoiding having to remove the lesion and wait for results of the biopsy. Precancerous polyps can be viewed, identified, and treated immediately during the colonoscopy. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on June 5th, 2008
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: colonoscopy, Digestive Disease Week

First Colonoscopy of the Day Finds More Polyps

News from Digestive Disease Week 2008

Video courtesy of Medscape Today.

The first colonoscopy performed each day finds more polyps — both small hyperplastic ones and more serious advanced adenomas. As the day goes on, fewer polyps are found every hour.

Researchers studied all the colonoscopies performed at the UCLA Veteran Administration Center in 2006 and 2007, keeping track of a number of variables that might affect the number of polyps found. Even adjusting for patient differences, withdrawal times, and bowel preparation, the time of day remained a predictor of how many polyps were located during the colonoscopy. Continue reading…

Posted by Kate Murphy on May 22nd, 2008
Posted in: Research & Treatment News | No Comments »
Tags: colonoscopy, Digestive Disease Week

Screening Methods

Comparing Screening Methods for Average Risk Patients
Tests that Detect Adenomatous Polyps and Cancer
Colonoscopy	Every 10 years	Most sensitive test for small and large polyps and cancers. Examines the entire colon, polyps can be removed and biopsied during the procedure.	Expensive, requires complete bowel cleansing. Normally uses sedation and requires someone to accompany patient, Rare instances of bowel perforation and bleeding. May not be covered by insurance.
Double-contrast barium enema	Every 5 years	Visualizes the entire colon, can detect most cancers, and the majority of large polyps. Helps patients who cannot complete a colonoscopy or where colonoscopy is not medically appropriate. Less expensive.	Requires complete bowel preparation. May be uncomfortable. An experienced radiologist is critical to quality exam. Colonoscopy is still required to biopsy lesions or removed polyps.
CT-colonography (virtual colonoscopy)	Every 5 years	Does not require sedation. No recovery time, patients can drive home or return to work. Finds cancer and large polyps at the same rate as colonoscopy. May find problems outside the colon as well.	Requires complete bowel preparation. Colonoscopy is required to biopsy and remove polyps. Technology and radiologist training are growing but not complete. May not detect non-polypoid colorectal neoplasms. May not be covered by insurance. False-positive problems identified outside the colon may require unnecessary follow-up tests.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy	Every 5 years	Can be done by primary care physician or trained nurse practitioner. Does not require sedation	Will miss polyps or cancers in the right colon beyond the reach of the scope. If polyps are found, colonoscopy and addition bowel preparation are required. Can be uncomfortable.
Tests that Primarily Detect Cancer
gFOBT: Guaiac-based stool test	Every year	Inexpensive, is done privately at home, can be offered to many people through community programs, including those without primary care or insurance.	Not very sensitive to polyps, will miss some cancers. Needs to be done correctly over three days. Requires diet and drug restrictions. Patients must handle stool. Has a high false positive rate that requires follow-up colonoscopy for about 1 in 3 tests.
FIT: Immunochemical stool test	Every year	Has no diet or drug restrictions prior to the test. Limits blood detected to colon and rectum . Is more sensitive than guaiac-based tests for cancer. May be simpler for patients to do.	Will miss some cancers and most advanced polyps. More expensive than gFOBT. All positive tests require colonoscopy follow-up.
Stool DNA test	Not yet known	Done at home privately. Not necessary to handle stool. Collection kit shipped directly to patient. No special diet prep required.	May not find all cancers or large polyps. Requires prompt, ice-pack shipment to special labs. Significantly more expensive than gFOBT or FIT. Colonoscopy follow-up necessary for positive test.