Yet another medical procedure touted as one of the pillars in the long-lost "War on Cancer", has turned out to be a dud. I did a post on a study several years ago demonstrating that taking a daily aspirin likely outweighs the benefits of colonoscopies while also having a much more acceptable risk profile. However, at the time colonoscopies were too popular to attack directly, so the study did not dare conclude the obvious - i.e. take your daily aspirin and skip the GI doctor visit.
Aspirin Can Fully Replace Your Annual Colonoscopy
Hopefully, the study below will give most patients and doctors second thoughts, especially considering the known, frequent, and potentially lethal side effects of colonoscopies. On a similar note, another very large recent study found that colonoscopy's cousin - the endoscopy - was also worse than useless. Namely, no reductions in cancer deaths and a very high risk of (potentially lethal) side effects. Yet other studies have demonstrated similar lack of benefit for other, less invasive, cancer prevention methods such as PSA test for prostate cancer, fecal calprotectin for colon and liver cancer, antidiuretic hormone test for lung cancer, BRCA gene testing for breast cancer, etc. One by one, the "miracles" of modern medicine in regards to disease prevention turn out to be little more than expensive (and dangerous) frauds. I can't help but make the comparison between the failure of those highly touted medical interventions and another recent highly-touted, expensive and dangerous public health fiasco, which came damn near close in becoming mandatory too. Yes, I am referring to the masks, vaccines, and lockdowns imposed on us with the excuse of launching another war - on COVID-19. Now, if the level of "success" in those medical procedures above is a surrogate measure for the overall competence of our public health officials, it seems prudent to seriously question and/or oppose any future attempt at imposing any nation-wide health policies, unless very strong evidence backing them up is presented.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2208375
New study examines the effectiveness of colonoscopies | CNN
"...Colonoscopies are a dreaded rite of passage for many middle-age adults. The promise has been that if you endure the awkwardness and invasiveness of having a camera travel the length of your large intestine once every decade after age 45, you have the best chance of catching – and perhaps preventing – colorectal cancer. It’s the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. Some 15 million colonoscopies are performed in the US each year. Now, a landmark study suggests the benefits of colonoscopies for cancer screening may be overestimated. The study marks the first time colonoscopies have been compared head-to-head to no cancer screening in a randomized trial. The study found only meager benefits for the group of people invited to get the procedure: an 18% lower risk of getting colorectal cancer, and no significant reduction in the risk of cancer death. It was published Sunday in The New England Journal of Medicine."
Aspirin Can Fully Replace Your Annual Colonoscopy
Hopefully, the study below will give most patients and doctors second thoughts, especially considering the known, frequent, and potentially lethal side effects of colonoscopies. On a similar note, another very large recent study found that colonoscopy's cousin - the endoscopy - was also worse than useless. Namely, no reductions in cancer deaths and a very high risk of (potentially lethal) side effects. Yet other studies have demonstrated similar lack of benefit for other, less invasive, cancer prevention methods such as PSA test for prostate cancer, fecal calprotectin for colon and liver cancer, antidiuretic hormone test for lung cancer, BRCA gene testing for breast cancer, etc. One by one, the "miracles" of modern medicine in regards to disease prevention turn out to be little more than expensive (and dangerous) frauds. I can't help but make the comparison between the failure of those highly touted medical interventions and another recent highly-touted, expensive and dangerous public health fiasco, which came damn near close in becoming mandatory too. Yes, I am referring to the masks, vaccines, and lockdowns imposed on us with the excuse of launching another war - on COVID-19. Now, if the level of "success" in those medical procedures above is a surrogate measure for the overall competence of our public health officials, it seems prudent to seriously question and/or oppose any future attempt at imposing any nation-wide health policies, unless very strong evidence backing them up is presented.
Systematic review with meta-analysis: the comparative effectiveness of aspirin vs. screening for colorectal cancer prevention - PubMed
Low-dose aspirin seems to be equally effective as flexible sigmoidoscopy or guaiac FOBT screening to reduce colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, and more effective for cancers in the proximal colon. A randomised comparative effectiveness trial of aspirin vs. screening is warranted.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
As many as 25% of screening colonoscopies are unnecessary, study finds - Lown Institute
As many as 25% of screening colonoscopies are not consistent with national guidelines, according to a recent systematic review.
lowninstitute.org
Many Colonoscopies for Seniors Carry Unnecessary Risks
Colon cancer usually progresses slowly, so early detection is less likely to benefit older adults. Also, colonoscopies come with a risk of perforation of the intestine, bleeding or incontinence
www.scientificamerican.com
New study examines the effectiveness of colonoscopies | CNN
"...Colonoscopies are a dreaded rite of passage for many middle-age adults. The promise has been that if you endure the awkwardness and invasiveness of having a camera travel the length of your large intestine once every decade after age 45, you have the best chance of catching – and perhaps preventing – colorectal cancer. It’s the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. Some 15 million colonoscopies are performed in the US each year. Now, a landmark study suggests the benefits of colonoscopies for cancer screening may be overestimated. The study marks the first time colonoscopies have been compared head-to-head to no cancer screening in a randomized trial. The study found only meager benefits for the group of people invited to get the procedure: an 18% lower risk of getting colorectal cancer, and no significant reduction in the risk of cancer death. It was published Sunday in The New England Journal of Medicine."
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