Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

The annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in San Diego, Calif., is conjuring up even more good news for consumers, especially those who have to undergo colonoscopies anytime soon. The procedure – which is recommended for those 50 years and older, those with a family history of colon cancer, or those experiencing symptoms of the disease – is getting more accurate, thanks to better techniques and equipment such as a camera that helps detect polyps and other lesions in the colon and the intestines, according to a report on Web MD.

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A new study presented at the American College of Gastroenterology’s 74th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, Calif., places new emphasis on the importance of adequate bowel preparation prior to colonoscopies. The news comes as clinicians are evaluating new bowel preparation solutions to replace popular ones that were pulled from the market or given a black box warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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A new formulation of an older generation antibiotic is showing promising results in lab animals as an effective treatment in the prevention and treatment of colon cancer and could minimize the need for uncomfortable colonoscopies and surgical polyp removal.

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The high cost of colonoscopies and hours in the waiting room can be a real pain in the bum for most people. But a new tool developed by researchers from North Carolina State University, Mayo Clinic and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass) may help colonoscopy facilities operate more efficiently, thus lowering costs and wait times for patients.

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Most people dread colonoscopies. Not only does the procedure, which involves a physician running a flexible tube through your colon and intestines, sound uncomfortable, the prep can be a real pain in the you-know-what. This is one reason why, when your doctor orders a colonoscopy, you’ll want to be sure you cleanse your bowel thoroughly and effectively to ensure that your doctor has a clear view of your colon. If not, you may have to repeat the procedure and the prep along with it.

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To hear your doctor recommend a “colonoscopy” can send chills down most peoples’ spines. The procedure, which involves a doctor sending a little camera fixed to the end of a flexible tube through the colon and into the intestines, can make even the strongest folks a bit uncomfortable. Some even fear that the procedure itself can cause harm. One study hopes to put those fears into perspective.

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Many physicians who perform colonoscopies are beginning to ask their patient for a second cleansing of the bowel in the wee hours before their procedures to ensure the bowel is clean and reduce the need for a redo.

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A study by a group of Italian researchers shows that virtual colonoscopies that use computer tomography scans are almost as effective at detecting tumors and precancerous lesions as standard colonoscopies, which requires threading a camera through the colon. The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that the new procedure may offer an alternative to people who are too embarrassed or afraid to undergo a standard colonoscopy.

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Nobody enjoys colonoscopies, but they save lives. Regular colon screenings can detect polyps even before they become cancerous. It is recommended that people begin colon screenings beginning at age 50, or earlier if they have a family history or are exhibiting symptoms such as blood in the stool. But how can you convince someone he needs to have a colonoscopy? Just have Pauly Polyp do the asking.

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In his health care speech last week to a joint session of Congress, President Barack Obama argued that “there is no reason we shouldn’t be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse. That makes sense.” It makes sense, too, to the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), which has long supported the lifesaving potential of screening by colonoscopy specifically because it can detect and remove pre-cancerous polyps and thereby prevent the development of colorectal cancer.

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