Colonoscopy Saves Lives-New York Times

HealthFreak · **Posted:** Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:57 pm

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/healt ... .html?_r=1

I know that this topic has been discussed many many times on this forum. After reading what Dr McDougall has said about this procedure, I am leaning toward never getting one. I'm at that age where I will begin getting pressure from my doctor and family to do it.

What do people think about this article? It's currently on the Most Popular section of the New York Times.

ETeSelle · **Joined:** Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:09 am **Posts:** 4994

Dr. McD will probably post a response to it in his newsletter soon--that's my guess!

Keep in mind that if you're eating the McD way you're already doing a HUGE amount to prevent colon cancer--far more than anyone in that study did.

Personally, I plan to get one (flexible sigmoidiscope, not the other one) at around age 60. If it's fine, that will be that.

If you have a history of colon cancer in your family perhaps you'll want to do it more often--but more than likely your family ate SAD so . . . !

hazelrah · **Posted:** Thu Feb 23, 2012 2:16 pm

HealthFreak wrote:

What do people think about this article? It's currently on the Most Popular section of the New York Times.

I'm not convinced by it. I'm at about that same age. Is the probability that they'll find a polyp that would have killed me greater than the probability that I'll have complications from the procedure?

I just think the whole experience is not worth the benefit, and I'll continue to believe that until somebody does a study that definitively proves that the colonoscopy is better protection than adopting a healthy diet. That study won't be published, because it is not.

At least that's my take on it. And from people I know who have had the experience without complications, I'm very happy that I feel that way.

Mark

jaysmetalart · **Joined:** Sun Feb 12, 2012 9:37 pm **Posts:** 129

I like Mcdougall's take on the medical business, don't do business with them.....Jay

Gramma Jackie · **Posted:** Thu Feb 23, 2012 4:00 pm

My husband has had two colonoscopies and 5 polyps removed. I have had 1 colonoscopy and 2 polyps removed. I think they are important after age 60. It's one thing when you've been eating a plant-based diet for quite awhile. It's another thing if you have not.

BarbG · **Joined:** Sun May 31, 2009 9:57 pm **Posts:** 199

http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/aug/colon.htm

This colonoscopy-dominated trend began to change in January of 2009 when an extensive review of the results of colonoscopy was reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.3

LauraA · **Posted:** Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:38 pm

I don't think that the article addressed my question. I believe that Dr M recommends one colonoscopy at about 60, and no further tests if all is well. I had a test done at age 59, no polyps, so I was not planning to get tested again. The article doesn't really discuss at what age the polyps were found that would have time to become serious. Any ideas? Thanks, LauraA

HealthFreak · **Posted:** Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:41 pm

ETeSelle wrote:

Personally, I plan to get one (flexible sigmoidiscope, not the other one) at around age 60. If it's fine, that will be that.

jaysmetalart wrote:

I like Mcdougall's take on the medical business, don't do business with them.....Jay

I may do the sigmoidiscope procedure. The thing that tells me that colonoscopy is big business based on false science is that no one on this earth besides MDs and McDougallers have even heard of a the sigmoidiscope option.

I'm sure my own doctor will tell me that no one does them because they aren't as good. He won't say that there is no money to be made from the lowly safe sigmoidiscope.

Gramma Jackie · **Posted:** Thu Feb 23, 2012 8:16 pm

A sigmoidoscopy is not neccessarily any safer than a colonoscopy. In the hands of an incompetant doctor either procedure can do damage. In the hands of a reputable doctor either one can find polyps or other problems. The difference is that a colonoscope can be inserted further up into the colon than the sigmoidoscope. Cancer in the upper part of the colon cannot be detected with a sigmoidoscopy. My gastroenterologist does both procedures and there was literature about both in his office.

HealthFreak · **Posted:** Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:00 pm

Gramma Jackie wrote:

A sigmoidoscopy is not neccessarily any safer than a colonoscopy. In the hands of an incompetant doctor either procedure can do damage. In the hands of a reputable doctor either one can find polyps or other problems. The difference is that a colonoscope can be inserted further up into the colon than the sigmoidoscope. Cancer in the upper part of the colon cannot be detected with a sigmoidoscopy. My gastroenterologist does both procedures and there was literature about both in his office.

Thanks for the info. I stand corrected. In my experience the colonoscopy gets lots of press and attention, basically everyone knows what they are. I had never heard of the sigmoidoscopy until I read about it in a McDougall newsletter.

Glenn50 · **Joined:** Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:02 pm **Posts:** 160

I have had 4 colonoscopies during the last 25 years checking my ulcerative colitis. The first when the procedure was fairly new in my country was poorly done with pain and no sedation and the prep was debilitating.
That particular specialist did eventually retire rather early in his career.

The other 3 were a breeze. The last one I had was last September at my local hospital. 3 of the patients in front of me had top and tails. Upper GI endoscopy and colonoscopy. I and 2 others had the latter which was clear for all of us. No pain, no wind, no memory of the procedure....And free....paid by the state.

Unfortunately our insurance in NZ doesn't cover colonoscopies as a way of screening for colon cancer and only covers the procedure if symptoms are present....which is too late for many.
I think if they allowed 1 screening colonoscopy every 10 or 12 years after 50 they would actually save money in the long run.

ETeSelle · **Joined:** Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:09 am **Posts:** 4994

Dr. McDougall disagrees. He says the flexible sigmoidiscope is significantly safer.

Quote:

As a young doctor in the 1970s I used a rigid two-foot long sigmoidoscope to check my patients for hemorrhoids, colon polyps, and cancer. The procedure was painful, relatively safe, cost about $100, and could be performed in about 10 minutes without any sedation in my office. Colonoscopies became popular as a screening tool in the late 1970s. Because this instrument (the colonoscope) must travel through 6 feet of torturous and turning bowel with four right angle turns (rather than only 2 feet with two bends with a sigmoidoscope) much more is involved. The colonoscopy requires a thorough bowel preparation (lasting as long as three days), sedation, and at least 30 minutes to perform. The risks from the sedation and passage of the tube are considerable. In contrast, nowadays a much more comfortable sigmoidoscope exam (using a flexible instrument) can be performed, which requires at most a day of preparation, costs about $200, and can be completed in 10 minutes. No sedation is required and harm is rarely caused to the patient. Adequately trained nurse practitioners can perform flexible sigmoidoscopy as competently as gastroenterologists can.

http://drmcdougall.com/misc/2010nl/aug/colon.htm

harry · **Joined:** Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:30 am **Posts:** 234

if dr McDougall is your doctor, you need to find out what he recommends for YOU individually.
colonoscopy can be useful...he may vary his approach depending on YOUR situation..

harry

Gramma Jackie · **Posted:** Fri Feb 24, 2012 7:53 am

harry wrote:

if dr McDougall is your doctor, you need to find out what he recommends for YOU individually.
colonoscopy can be useful...he may vary his approach depending on YOUR situation..

harry

I agree with you Harry. I follow Dr. McDougall's nutritional advice, but he doesn't have access to everyone's medical history. My husband's family has a history of cancer, including colon cancer. His dad died of cancer at about the age my husband is now. Several of his uncles also died of cancer and so did his mother. If everyone ate the way Dr. McDougall recommends few people would even have to have colonoscopies. However many of us are learning how to eat healthy later in life. Many of us already have damaged bodies. My husband ate lots of red meat until just last month. I am grateful for early detection. Sigmoidoscopy is for the descending colon and yes that is where most colon cancers are found. However my husband's uncle's cancer was located in the upper bowel. The practice at the time (late 70's) was to do a sigmoidoscopy. It was not dectected until it was too late.

goldilocks · **Posted:** Fri Feb 24, 2012 8:07 am

I'd prefer not to get them done because of the risk of complications and the unpleasantness of the whole thing. But my younger sister has already had colon cancer (developed it in her 30's!!!) so I've had two so far at ages 44 and 49. Both times they found and removed two polyps that weren't considered cancerous yet, but could have developed into cancer... If I get one with no polyps I may go ten years until the next one, but while they're finding these, I've resigned myself to doing them every five years.

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Colonoscopy Saves Lives-New York Times

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