RetiredHappy
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2021
- Messages
- 1,616
Cologuard claims to detect about 50% of polyps.
Cologuard claims to detect about 50% of polyps.
You're not the only one confused. It's our lovely medical system doing what it does best: obfuscation about costs.
Mine was timestamped. From cecum to "the end" was 7 minutes and 39 seconds.
On the other hand a colonoscopy detects over 90% of polyps. Why would anyone risk their lives on cologuard?
Very simply... my best friend's mother died after her colon got perforated during a colonoscopy. Another very close friend has a clip permanently inserted into his colon after a botched colonoscopy and he almost died. Another person had a ruptured spleen from a colonoscopy and similarly had to be operated on.
On the contrary. Your analogy is for someone who had not gotten screened and say, hey see I don't need screening and I have not died from colon cancer.A tragedy for sure. But statistically isn't this a bit like not wearing a seatbelt because your cousin got "thrown clear" of the car and survived a crash not wearing one?
Interesting study, but my guess is that swapping the traditional Western Diet with just about ANY diet that is lower in processed junk foods would have achieved a similar result. Here is the Western Diet as they described it:
"people in South Africa ate an “American” high-fat, low-fiber diet: Foods included beef sausage links and pancakes for breakfast; hamburger and French fries for lunch; and meatloaf and rice for dinner."
This diet is high in ultra-processed grains (pancakes, burger buns); industrial seed oils (french fries); and sausage links are a processed meat product. And my guess is that the condiments on the burgers contained some unhealthy ingredients as well, like soybean oil. Ketchup on the fries contains high fructose corn syrup. Maple syrup (probably fake) on the pancakes would contain lots of either sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup. Replacing those things with just about ANY unprocessed, whole foods would certainly improve the diet, and probably reduce the risk for colon cancer. So I don't necessarily think the takeaway message from this study should be that Americans should eat less fatty foods, or that we should eat exactly like Africans do. What we should be doing is replacing unhealthy fats (industrial seed oils) with healthy fats, and seeking out whole foods (vegetables, even baked potatoes, fish, grass-fed meat) rather than junk foods such as french fries and processed meat products.
On the contrary. Your analogy is for someone who had not gotten screened and say, hey see I don't need screening and I have not died from colon cancer.
These are close friends of mine who had botched procedures. Our pool guy (owner) 's uncle is some big shot doctor at Cleveland Medical Center. Our pool guy said his uncle told him that the risk of colonoscopy going wrong is much higher than most people realize and he has never had a colonoscopy done himself. His advice to our pool guy is to have Cologuard every year. If insurance does not pay for it yearly, then just pay out of pocket. Remember that colonoscopy is used as a screening option and a polyp removal procedure. For people with regular colon cancer risk, there are 2 other screening options which are non-invasive. We make our own health care decisions.
The only time my primary care guy ever got visibly upset with me was when I waffled about the colonoscopy. So I had it done.
While they were prepping me for the exam the guy in the enclosure next to me was telling the assistant about his surgery and how he has to do certain thing now. After hearing his story I vowed to never complain about the colonoscopy.
While they were prepping me for the exam the guy in the enclosure next to me was telling the assistant about his surgery and how he has to do certain thing now. After hearing his story I vowed to never complain about the colonoscopy.
I heard so many folks complain about getting a colonoscopy…the prep, the fasting, the this, the that. I’ve had two now. Clean on both. They are not that big of a deal.
I intend to have one more and then I am done due to concern about my lining thinning and having a puncture during the procedure. I haven’t had any polyps. My siblings haven’t stopped because they have had many polyps.
The recommendation is to continue screening through 75 and consider it from 75-85 in consultation with your doctor (USPSTF)
Well, I hate them but they're better than developing colon cancer (and I figure if I get colon cancer and survive there will be MANY more of those miserable tests in my future). They always find stuff to snip out so I'll be back every 5 years.