5-min colon cancer test could save thousands

5-min colon cancer test could save thousands


London: A five-minute colon cancer test could reduce the number of deaths from the disease by about 40%, a new study says.
British researchers followed more than 170,000 people for about 11 years. Of those, more than 40,000 had a “flexiscope” test, an exam that removes polyps, small growths that could become cancerous.
The test involves having a pen-sized tube inserted into the colon so doctors can identify and remove small polyps. Experts used the test on people in their 50s. In the UK, government-funded colon cancer screening doesn’t start until 60.
Researchers compared those results to more than 113,000 people who were not screened. They found the flexiscope test reduced peoples’ chances of getting colon cancer by one third. It also cut their chances of dying by 43%. Researchers said the test needed to be done just once in a person’s lifetime.
The results were published online on Wednesday in Lancet. Experts said the findings could make some authorities reconsider how they look for colon cancer. Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed form of the disease worldwide , accounting for more than one million cases and 600,000 deaths annually.