On April 29, British researchers announced that a procedure called a sigmoidoscopy performed between the ages of 55 and 64 can decrease colorectal cancer deaths by an astounding 43 percent.
These results, which were taken from the first major randomized trial of sigmoidoscopy, reveal that it is even more effective screening than mammography for breast cancer or PSA tests for prostate cancer.
This reaffirms current U.S. guidelines that recommend regular sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to check for colorectal cancer.
During a sigmoidoscopy, a bendable tube equipped with a tiny camera is inserted into the rectum to scan the lower third of the bowel. More than 50 percent of bowel cancers happen in this area of the colon. All of the large intestine is examined during a colonoscopy.
This test finds tumors in their early stages of development, when the cure rate is almost 90 percent. It also spots and enables removal of polyps that could grow into tumors later.
At this time, only around 13 percent of all tumors are detected at that stage. Sadly, once symptoms develop, the cure rate is less than 50 percent.
Currently, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer in the U.S. It is diagnosed in about 147,000 people every year and kills almost 50,000. However, only around half of the qualified people in the U.S. get screened for it, according to the American Cancer Society.
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