Annual stool test may be as effective as colonoscopy, study finds

[EarlyBirdly]

Terry, do you have a link for this? Originally after reading something, I had the same impression. More recently I have the sense that it wasn't so much the thin lining and the risk of puncture but the increasing odds of something else happening healthwise just because you're getting closer to the end......
so that skewed the the risk/benefit ratio.

https://www.cancer.gov/types/colorectal/screening-fact-sheet

Colonoscopy:


"There is a small risk of bleeding or of tearing or perforation of the lining of the colon; this risk increases with age, with the presence of other health problems, and when polyps are removed."

 

[ncbill]

Cool. Unless you have a history of colon cancer, why get a torpedo run through your guts?

When a friend was having one done & the doctor fussed at him for moving as the scope navigated the bends he responded with "I'd like to see you stay still with a garden hose getting rammed up your $#%!"

 

[COcheesehead]

When a friend was having one done & the doctor fussed at him for moving as the scope navigated the bends he responded with "I'd like to see you stay still with a garden hose getting rammed up your $#%!"

He wasn't sedated? I would find another doctor.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Just a bit of anecdotal info: DH, age 72, last had a colonoscopy in 2013, recommended at that time to have a repeat in 2023. His PCP recommended at his April physical that he do Cologuard. He did: results came back positive. He was then scheduled for a colonoscopy. Fortunately we got a date within 2 weeks, thus only 2 weeks of anxiety. Results, clean: one minir polyp-doc says not to worry and need not return for 10 years. Doc wondered out loud why he did the Cologuard when he wasn’t due until 2023. I’m not sure what lesson this anecdote infers. A lot of unnecesary anxiety, prep and subsequent relief. Also an example of false positive.

 

[RAE]

Just a bit of anecdotal info: DH, age 72, last had a colonoscopy in 2013, recommended at that time to have a repeat in 2023. His PCP recommended at his April physical that he do Cologuard. He did: results came back positive. He was then scheduled for a colonoscopy. Fortunately we got a date within 2 weeks, thus only 2 weeks of anxiety. Results, clean: one minir polyp-doc says not to worry and need not return for 10 years. Doc wondered out loud why he did the Cologuard when he wasn’t due until 2023. I’m not sure what lesson this anecdote infers. A lot of unnecesary anxiety, prep and subsequent relief. Also an example of false positive.

Here is some info. on the false positive and false negative rates for the Cologuard test, from a recent article in Forbes:

"Cologuard's false-negative rate is 8% and its false-positive rate is 13%. Back-of-the-envelope math: Among 100,000 people who take the test once, 650 might have colorectal cancer, and Cologuard will catch all but 52 of those cases, according to a study funded by Exact that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It will also send 13,000 healthy people off with worries and instructions to follow up with a colonoscopy. More than 2,000 more will find they have polyps or other problems that are not cancer. But then Cologuard has spared 84,000 customers the unpleasantness of a colonoscopy prep day."

https://www.forbes.com/sites/michel...p-test-replace-your-colonoscopy/#46aaa43234a3

 

[REWahoo]

Just a bit of anecdotal info: DH, age 72, last had a colonoscopy in 2013, recommended at that time to have a repeat in 2023. His PCP recommended at his April physical that he do Cologuard. He did: results came back positive. He was then scheduled for a colonoscopy. Fortunately we got a date within 2 weeks, thus only 2 weeks of anxiety. Results, clean: one minir polyp-doc says not to worry and need not return for 10 years. Doc wondered out loud why he did the Cologuard when he wasn’t due until 2023. I’m not sure what lesson this anecdote infers. A lot of unnecesary anxiety, prep and subsequent relief. Also an example of false positive.

Similar story here, also age 72. Except doc found no polyp and said unless I had some sort of problem in the future, I was done with colonoscopies.

 

[RetMD21]

Just a bit of anecdotal info: DH, age 72, last had a colonoscopy in 2013, recommended at that time to have a repeat in 2023. His PCP recommended at his April physical that he do Cologuard. He did: results came back positive. He was then scheduled for a colonoscopy. Fortunately we got a date within 2 weeks, thus only 2 weeks of anxiety. Results, clean: one minir polyp-doc says not to worry and need not return for 10 years. Doc wondered out loud why he did the Cologuard when he wasn’t due until 2023. I’m not sure what lesson this anecdote infers. A lot of unnecesary anxiety, prep and subsequent relief. Also an example of false positive.

Cologuard's supposed to be done every 3 years but when you stop screening you should probably just stop. Doing cologuard at 10 years isn't any organization's recommendation.

 

[NoMoreJob]

How often are you having a colonoscopy done to guarantee that you will have all polyps removed before they become cancerous? Most insurers will only cover the test once every 10 years, a lot can happen during that time.

My experience has been that the insurer will pay once every 10 years OR as often as medically necessary. If polyps are found and removed then depending on the type of polyps the repeat time will usually be 5 years or less and insurance will pay based on the doctor's recommendation. I've never had a colonoscopy not covered and so far I've had them at ages 50, 60 and 66. Next one will be between age 69 ad 71 (recommendation was for a 3-5 year repeat - I'm just going to wait on the doc to send me a reminder to schedule).

 

[Scrapr]

He wasn't sedated? I would find another doctor.

On one of my first one or two colonoscopies the anesthesiologist was adjusting the amount. They asked if I wanted to watch on the video monitor. So I did. I was chatting with the doctor asking him questions. He got to the turn around and the doctor gave the gas man the high sign and I was out the rest of the way. Another one I was out on the way in/up and the Doc was having trouble getting the scope up & around a bend. Gas man turned down the amount and they asked me to "relax". I could not so they pulled out and I had to do a repeat the next day

 

[Unpaintedhuffhines]

He wasn't sedated? I would find another doctor.

My previous colonoscopy was... unpleasant. Awake for the entire procedure, just felt like I'd had about 4 beers (slight buzz, but you sober up quick when they bring out the roto rooter). Told them after and they said "why didn't you say something? We can make it more pleasant."

Had another one last Friday. Going in, told everyone who would listen about my experience. Anesthesiologist just said "I'll take care of you." Saw as they injected something in the IV, then they said "do you feel anything?" (I didn't - and told them so), then about 5 seconds later the warm embrace of what ever magic they were serving. Woke up in recovery.

Better living through chemistry.

 

[Potstickers]

n=1, but MIL's 75+-year-old boyfriend nearly died after his intestine was perforated during his colonoscopy. He was hospitalized for more than a month and never seemed to regain his stamina.

I had a couple of polyps last time and am now on a 5-year recall. When I hit 70, I'm going to figure out if cologuard, the occult blood test, or a virtual colonoscopy might be the best choice for balancing information gained vs. risk.

 

[Rustic23]

Yea,

Got a positive Cologuard about a month ago. Took this long to get a colonoscopy. Results, Negative, Nothing. not even polyps. Lots of nice pretty pictures.

If I had to do it again, I would skip Cologuard and go straight to the colonoscopy.