The report confirms the life-saving effect, colonoscopy

by wchenglk2 on 2012-02-24 16:31:06

" This study raises the point that resting is important," said Dr. David Rottenberger, professor and vice chairman of surgery at the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota. He was not involved in this research. The new study did not compare colonoscopy with other methods for screening for colorectal cancer, so it does not fully resolve the long-standing medical debate over which method is best. Tests besides colonoscopy look for blood in the stool or use different techniques to examine the lower digestive tract. All the tests are unpleasant, and people often avoid them. While doctors differ on which method is best, they agree that it is important to get some type of test, usually starting at age 50. Screening is worthwhile because colorectal cancer is one of the few kinds (along with cervical and skin cancer) in which precancerous growths have been identified and the disease can be prevented if those growths are detected and cut out. Studies show that not every polyp turns into cancer, but almost every large tumor starts out as an adenomatous polyp. A team led by Sidney Winawer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City followed 2602 patients after adenomatous polyps were removed from 1980 to 1990 during colonoscopies. Doctors compared their death rate from colorectal cancer with that of the general population, where 25.4 deaths from the disease would have been expected in a group of the same size. But in the polyp group, there were just 12 deaths from colorectal cancer, a reduction of 53 percent in the mortality rate. "Not all adenomas turn into cancers, and not all cancers lead to death," said Ann S. Chen, the study's lead author and a statistician at Sloan-Kettering. But in many cases, she said, www.bohuicn.com, "we got those that had the potential to go on and cause death from cancer." Even if intestinal cancer has already developed, it can still be cured if caught early and treated. A new study provides the strongest evidence yet from an independent study that colonoscopy - perhaps the most dreaded screening test - prevents deaths. Although many have assumed that colonoscopy must save lives since it is so often recommended, solid evidence has been lacking until now. In patients tracked for as long as 20 years, the death rate from colorectal cancer was cut by 53 percent in those whose doctors called growths precancerous, adenomatous polyps, researchers reported Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The exam involves inspecting the lower digestive tract with a camera-tipped tube. [Ming You Jing Chun Optimization Room QQ Contact 4 6 6 4 0 1 6 0 4 8838478 10 product keywords guaranteed 4 on Baidu's first page for eight thousand yuan a year, website included! Contact number 13422475786] Cancer screening has come under more rigorous review recently. A government panel of experts recommended in October that people stop getting the prostate-specific antigen blood test for prostate cancer after studies showed it did not save lives. The new study on colonoscopy has limitations - it was not a randomized clinical trial - but some experts say it was well done enough to help answer questions about the procedure's effectiveness. "For any cancer screening test, reducing cancer-related mortality is the holy grail," said Dr. Gina Vaccaro of the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, who was not involved in the study. "This study shows a reduction in mortality if polyps are removed, and 53 percent is a very strong reduction." Colorectal tumors are a leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and one of the few cancers that can be prevented through screening. This year, more than 143,000 new cases and 51,000 deaths are expected. The incidence and death rates have dropped for about 20 years, possibly because of increased use of screening tests and better treatment. But only about six in 10 adults have been screened for colorectal cancer so far, according to federal estimates. Robert Smith, senior director of cancer control at the American Cancer Society, said, "That's a big problem." Earlier studies have shown that removing precancerous polyps can greatly reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer. But a major question remained: Does clearing out polyps really save lives? In theory, it could, if doctors find growths that would have killed the patient or gone undetected and become fatal. Related thematic articles: Get the most comprehensive website promotion, search engine optimization, and statistical analysis software package. Donald was on his way home when Tiger barely survived the first round match. LG announced Optimus 3D Max for the Mobile World Congress. Get the most comprehensive website promotion, search engine optimization, and statistical analysis software package. LG announced Optimus 3D Max for the Mobile World Congress. (Jieyang Station Promotion www.wji.cc)"