The surge in demand over the past year should level out, Dr. Fath says. However, I don t foresee a decrease in the total number of cases being serviced by our endoscopy unit. According to Dr. Fath, who has a private practice in Scarsdale and has been affiliated with White Plains Hospital Center for the last 18 years, the popularization of screening colonoscopy stems from the fact that the test enables the entire colon to be examined. Sigmoidoscopy, an alternative screening test that can be performed in a physician s office in five to 10 minutes, but only allows for inspection of the lower third of the colorectum, was until recently the standard screening procedure. Colonoscopy, on the other hand, requires a more intensive bowel preparation and takes 20 to 30 minutes to perform.
Colonoscopy can detect polyps and cancers throughout the entire colon and poses little risk.
The removal of polyps via colonoscopy virtually eliminates the risk of developing colon cancer. The incidence of polyps significantly increases between age 50 and 70, an important time period for screening, Dr. Fath says. For average-risk individuals, ones with no family or past history of polyps, colonoscopy should be performed every seven to 10 years after age 50. A family history of colon cancer or polyps, a personal medical history of either cancer or polyps, and women who have had breast, ovarian and uterine cancers are at higher risk for developing colon cancer consequently, colonoscopy should be done more often. One commonly held misconception is that men are far more prone to colon cancer than women.