Be First For Your Colonoscopy

People ages 50 and older should be screened for colon cancer. Often this means that the patient would undergo a colonoscopy.

During colonoscopy, doctors look for abnormal growths, polyps, by "inserting a tiny camera into the rectum. The camera is attached to a tube that can also be used to remove polyps before they turn cancerous."

When you set up your appointment for a colonoscopy, get a first appointment. That's when your doctor is most alert.

Dr. Brennan Spiegel of UCLA suggested that "a repetitive procedure...can lull you (the physician) into complacency over a long work shift."

In a 4-month study of 28 colonoscopy doctors, "for each hour that lapsed throughout the day, there was a four percent reduction in the number of polyps the doctors spotted."