For the first time a study is able to prove that colonoscopies are in deed effective at cutting the risk of dying from colon cancer.
Still many people are afraid of the procedure. "Sure, it´s a pain in the neck. People complain to me all the time, ´It´s horrible. It´s terrible. But look at the alternative," Dr. Sidney Winawer, one of the researchers, says.
By studying 2,602 patients with precancerous growths in a 15-year period, researchers concluded colonoscopy reduces the risk of colorectal cancer death by 53 percent.
