Colonoscopy does not reduce colon cancer deaths as much as hoped

[MillCreek]

https://www.statnews.com/2022/10/09/in-gold-standard-trial-colonoscopy-fails-to-reduce-rate-of-cancer-deaths/

https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2208375

The benefit of colonoscopy in preventing deaths from colon cancer may be overestimated: only an 18% lower risk of colon cancer and no significant change in the colon cancer death rate vs. patients with no colon cancer screening.

[Ben]

I was just reading that this morning. I have continued wishing that there was a good alternative to the dreaded colonoscopy, since I'm on the five year plan due to previously found polyps (in all three that I've had so far).

Unfortunately, it sounds like with a polyp history, there's still no good alternative.

[MillCreek]

I hope someone is doing a followup study on the efficacy of the FIT kits and Cologuard kits on reducing colon cancer deaths.  My wife and I switched over to the FIT kits and do them annually starting at age 60.

[charby]

A colonoscopy at 29 is why I'm here today. Nothing like having colon cancer before your 30, but surgery got it all. Took me a while, but I'm on the 5 year plan now. Had my last one in August, found 3 polyps but they were the medium risk ones. I'll take an evening of shiiting my insides out every so often so I don't have to deal with cancer.

[MillCreek]

^^^I am guessing that you had a family history or clinical symptoms that prompted your colonoscopy at age 29, since that is way too young to do a screening colonoscopy.  This study looked at screening colonoscopies as part of routine colon cancer surveillance.  There will always be colonoscopies done for patients at high risk or who have symptoms.  Routine scopes done as you get older may be coming under more scrutiny now, since the benefit may not be worth the costs or risks.  I have handled a few cases over the years of bowel perforation from the scope.

[charby]

^^^I am guessing that you had a family history or clinical symptoms that prompted your colonoscopy at age 29, since that is way too young to do a screening colonoscopy.  This study looked at screening colonoscopies as part of routine colon cancer surveillance.  There will always be colonoscopies done for patients at high risk or who have symptoms.  Routine scopes done as you get older may be coming under more scrutiny now, since the benefit may not be worth the costs or risks.  I have handled a few cases over the years of bowel perforation from the scope.

Family history and symptoms

[K Frame]

Hum....

Next year should be my next foray into the land of Volcano in a Can...

I wonder how this is going to affect it.

[MillCreek]

Hum....

Next year should be my next foray into the land of Volcano in a Can...

I wonder how this is going to affect it.

Were I in your shoes, and assuming you don't have a personal or family history or symptoms, I would ask your provider if you can start doing the FIT kit every year or the Cologuard every three years for the colon cancer surveillance.

[K Frame]

That certainly would cut down on the screaming...

[T.O.M.]

I am 10 days away from my first one.  Stocking up on Gatoraid, baby wipes, and Aquaphor for the rash.  Hoping for better options down the road.

[HeroHog]

I am 10 days away from my first one.  Stocking up on Gatoraid, baby wipes, and Aquaphor for the rash.  Hoping for better options down the road.

Have fun! 

[Northwoods]

Were I in your shoes, and assuming you don't have a personal or family history or symptoms, I would ask your provider if you can start doing the FIT kit every year or the Cologuard every three years for the colon cancer surveillance.

Is that the poop in a bag test?  Doc sent me that test kit in the mail unsolicited.  Probably because I just turned 45 over the summer.

[K Frame]

I am 10 days away from my first one.  Stocking up on Gatoraid, baby wipes, and Aquaphor for the rash.  Hoping for better options down the road.

What are they giving you for the blast off?

Before my first one in 2018 I was regaled with horror stories of all the horrific prep regimes...

Drink 5 gallons of this horrible tasting crap in 5 minutes

Or drink 10 gallons of OTC laxative mixed with something else to give it the consistency of snot...

The stuff I got, Suprep, was not bad at all.

Two small bottles. You mixed a bottle with a glass of water, chugged it, and then followed it up with a bunch more water over the next hour.

The next morning you did the same thing.

It certainly didn't taste great, but it was not at all bad given some of the things that I had been hearing.

[HeroHog]

The gallon of GoLytely is NASTY. I've been given the "thick 7-Up" AND the gallon of GoLytely before! If ya add the Crystal Lite Lemonade to it and CHILL IT as cold as you can, it's SLIGHTLY better. Do NOT use any Crystal Lite that has Red food coloring as it will mess with the test.

[JTHunter]

Colonoscopy are just a royal pain in the @$$. 

[NickySantoro]

A colonoscopy found my cancer under a small polyp. That was 2018. Follow ups were negative. As far a the prep, I found that Miralax dissolved in Gatorade got it done and wasn't too nasty.

[Northwoods]

A colonoscopy found my cancer under a small polyp. That was 2018. Follow ups were negative. As far a the prep, I found that Miralax dissolved in Gatorade got it done and wasn't too nasty.

Hey - saw you’ve been on here since 2005!  Be great to hear from you a bit more often.  Glad to hear the colonoscopy was beneficial for you.

[T.O.M.]

What are they giving you for the blast off?

Before my first one in 2018 I was regaled with horror stories of all the horrific prep regimes...

Drink 5 gallons of this horrible tasting crap in 5 minutes

Or drink 10 gallons of OTC laxative mixed with something else to give it the consistency of snot...

The stuff I got, Suprep, was not bad at all.

Two small bottles. You mixed a bottle with a glass of water, chugged it, and then followed it up with a bunch more water over the next hour.

The next morning you did the same thing.

It certainly didn't taste great, but it was not at all bad given some of the things that I had been hearing.

I'm to take 4 Dulcolax pills at 5:00 p.m. the day before.  Am hour later, the Gatoraid/Miramar mix.  Assuming I'm still alive after that, another bottle of Gatoraid/Miralax four hours prior to the Main Event. My physician went through this prep, said the Gatoraid was better than the prescription mixes.  He advised that I not plan on sleeping much the night before.

[K Frame]

A Gatoraid/Miramar mix?

As in... That was some of the best shitting I've seen to date... right up to the part where you crapped your pants.

I never thought of Top Gun as colonoscopy material, but I'm sure your doctor is competent... 

[HankB]

I'll just say this - when one new study contradicts many decades of institutional experience worldwide - don't accept it as gospel.

[K Frame]

I'll just say this - when one new study contradicts many decades of institutional experience worldwide - don't accept it as gospel.

DING DING DING!

I don't expect the colonoscopy to be going away any time soon.

[Ben]

I'm to take 4 Dulcolax pills at 5:00 p.m. the day before.  Am hour later, the Gatoraid/Miramar mix.  Assuming I'm still alive after that, another bottle of Gatoraid/Miralax four hours prior to the Main Event.

That's how I did my last two (Miralax), except the last dose had to be done before midnight. It seems to be the popular choice of doctors now. For my first one, they gave me some prescription stuff I had to get from their office. It was nasty, but I think it did a better job quicker than the dulcolax/miralax method. The latter was less unpleasant to get down though.

[T.O.M.]

It's 9:15, and I think most of my internals have gone into the toilet.  And that's after the 4 pills amd one bottle of Miralax.  I'd like to call it done and try to get some sleep, but I really don't want to have them declare me a failed prep, cancel the op, and make me go through this again.

[HeroHog]

NO JOKE! That would SUCK!

[K Frame]

Did anyone else hear faint screaming on the wind last night?