News Tagged ‘American Cancer Society’
Less invasive alternative to colonoscopy set for 2011 clinical trial
A Madison, Wis., company is developing a less invasive way of screening for colon cancer that it hopes will take the place of uncomfortable colonoscopies and increase the number of people willing to be screened for colorectal cancers. Exact Sciences Corp., has developed a DNA-based test that can detect colorectal cancer through a stool sample. Even more convenient than a colonoscopy for the patient, the test can be administered at home and sent to a lab for analysis.
Task force advises stopping colonoscopies for elderly
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a government-appointed, independent panel of doctors and scientists, raised quite a ruckus with its recommendations on the frequency of mammograms and pap smears, bucking the American Cancer Society’s recommendations by suggesting that fewer screenings were necessary for otherwise healthy women. But the task force’s opinions on colonoscopies mirror those of ACS with at least one small exception – limiting colorectal exams for patients 75 years and older.
Colonoscopies beneficial for finding cancer early
An estimated 106,100 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer and 40,870 with rectal cancer this year, according to the American Cancer Society. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. But the good news is that the death rate is dropping. One reason is that regular screenings have allowed doctors to find more colorectal cancers sooner, thus making the disease easier to cure.
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