Not all colonoscopies are equal, a new study finds. Colorectal cancer is more likely to be missed if the colonoscopy is performed in a doctor's office rather than in a hospital or clinic.
Canadian investigators analyzed data from more than 12,000 people with colorectal cancer who had reportedly normal colonoscopies no more than three years before their diagnosis. The investigators found that 3% of the people had a new or missed cancer, some within six months of their last colonoscopy. And those who had a missed cancer were more likely to have had the procedure performed by an internist or family physician in an office setting.
When looking specifically at colonoscopies performed by a family physician or internist in a doctor's office, they found that men were three times more likely and women were nearly twice as likely to have a new or missed cancer compared with those who underwent the procedure in a hospital.
The researchers also found that older men and women, people with diverticular disease, and women who had previously had abdominal surgery were at increased risk for a missed colorectal cancer.
Bottom line: For peace of mind, particularly if you're in one of the groups at increased risk for a missed cancer, have your next colonoscopy performed at a hospital or clinic by a doctor with experience performing the procedure.
Posted in Colon Cancer on November 18, 2008
Reviewed July 2009
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