A colonoscopy is an uncomfortable and dreaded moment for patients. The procedure consists of using a camera to examine the rectum, small intestine and large intestine, looking for polyps that could become cancerous in the years to come. It is an integral part of the early detection strategy for colorectal cancer, one of the most common cancers in men and women over 50.
To date, no randomized trial has concluded that colonoscopy is effective in reducing mortality from colorectal cancer and that this screening test is consequently without health risk and does not increase the risk of mortality from any cause. A study published in The NEJM conducted in Norway, Poland and Sweden tackled this problem head-on. The conclusions contradict what was thought: this test does not reduce mortality from colon cancer.
The connection between colon cancer and nitrites has been confirmed
Colonoscopy and incidence of colorectal cancer
The study protocol replicates a colorectal cancer screening program. Among the 80,000 participants in the three countries, some are invited for a colonoscopy (28,000 people), of which 42% actually pass the examination. Colon cancer incidence and deaths are monitored over 10 years and compared to 56,000 people who did not receive an invitation and did not have a colonoscopy. The scientists made sure that the latter failed one outside of the clinical trial.
At the beginning of the ten-year follow-up, the scientists observed for the first time an increased risk of colorectal cancer in patients who were referred for screening – an expected trend since screening reveals the presence of cancer. But after six years of follow-up, the risk of colon cancer increases in people who don’t get screened. Overall, the colorectal cancer risk is 0.98 in …
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