Your GI doctor and various other sources have been spreading this fact for years, but another new study has further confirmed that routine colonoscopies can save lives. The colonoscopy, a common procedure performed by your gastroenterologist, is considered the ‘gold standard’ for colorectal cancer screenings. Routine colonoscopies
become important at the age of 50 (or earlier based on certain risk factors) and should be completed once every 10 years. Not only do colonoscopies help detect and may remove the early signs of colon
cancer, but they can also detect other abnormalities in your
gastrointestinal tract. The study found a vast contrast in the
survival rates between patients who were diagnosed with colon cancer
through a routine colonoscopy and those who were not. If you have yet
to receive a colonoscopy or believe you may be in need for treatment,
contact Dr. Berookim at the Gastroenterology Institute of Southern
California and schedule this lifesaving procedure!
The Study: Colonoscopy Can Save Lives
The new study, published on June 19th in the journal JAMA Surgery,
included approximately 1100 patients who had been diagnosed with colon
cancer. In 217 cases the cancer had been diagnosed from their
colonoscopy screenings. The patients who discovered colon cancer
early from a routine colonoscopy screening had their risk of invasive
tumors cut in half! The other spectrum, including patients who were
diagnosed with colon cancer via their symptoms or other factors, were
at higher risk of having more invasive tumors, as well as other
cancers that spread throughout the body, giving them a lower survival
rate. The earlier colon cancer is detected, the greater the chance you
and your doctor will successfully fight and cure the cancer.
With the amount of positive press and encouragement from doctors for
colonoscopies, the implementation of a routine colonoscopy has
decreased the number of deaths from colon cancer over the past few
years. Colonoscopies have been a historically neglected procedure,
even though patients generally need only 1 colonoscopy every 10 years.
Researcher Ramzi Amri of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard
Medical School and his colleagues have encouraged people to comply
with colonoscopy screening guidelines. Receiving your first
colonoscopy at 50 years old and having a screening every 10 years will
reduce health costs and possibly improve your overall quality of life
with the early detection of colon cancer.
Colonoscopy at Gastroenterology Institute of Southern California
To practice what he preaches, expert Los Angeles GI doctor Peyton
Berookim, MD, underwent a colonoscopy himself. In this video for
Scopefest, Dr. Berookim encourages his patients to maintain their
health and schedule their colonoscopies routinely. He also explains
the preparation process and reminds patients that colonoscopies are
simple, safe and completely pain-free.
By catching and even preventing colon cancer, colonoscopies have been
proven to save lives. If you are over 50 and have not been screened, or if it has been 10 years since your last exam, call (310) 271-1122 to schedule an appointment for your next colonoscopy at the Gastroenterology Institute of Southern California.