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Same here. My polyps were all sent to the lab for biopsy. I was given copies of the photos , as well.
I suspect that those who question the worth of colonoscopies have never had one and we'll never know if/when they develop colon cancer.
agree. We all know after a certain age, the need for them isn't that important and yes, even chancy, but prior to about 80, everyone should follow the advise of their doctors. As said, all cancers start out as polyps, not all polyps become cancer. In fact probably most don't, but why take a chance. And yes, all of mine have been sent to the lab.
colonoscopies should be used only as a preventative (in my opinion)...as the FIT test (almost 100% accurate) is a lot cheaper and a good diagnostic.
Colonoscopies are MUCH more "accurate" than the FIT test...
No test is "almost 100% accurate" what is that even supposed to mean???
Medical tests are judged on specificity and sensitivity, the number of false positives and false negatives...
The FIT test is a test for blood in the stool....even if it were "100% accurate" in detecting blood, since colon cancers don't always bleed at a given time, the FIT test can't detect a colon cancer if there was no blood present AT THAT TIME.
A positive FIT test will also lead to a colonoscopy regardless.
The colonoscopy is diagnostic AND therapeutic...any polyps identified can be removed, something no other "test" will ever duplicate...
colonoscopies should be used only as a preventative (in my opinion)...as the FIT test (almost 100% accurate) is a lot cheaper and a good diagnostic.
You have it backward. FIT is OK for screening (what you call preventative), but not diagnostic. It tells you something is there, somewhere. It does not tell you what and where, which are key to diagnosis.
I would not call a colonoscopy "therapeutic" however. It's true that the doc can remove suspicious polyps. This is done, though, for diagnostic purposes, even though it can lower future risk. You can count on much more intervention, though, if a polyp turns out to be cancerous.
You have it backward. FIT is OK for screening (what you call preventative), but not diagnostic. It tells you something is there, somewhere. It does not tell you what and where, which are key to diagnosis.
I would not call a colonoscopy "therapeutic" however. It's true that the doc can remove suspicious polyps. This is done, though, for diagnostic purposes, even though it can lower future risk. You can count on much more intervention, though, if a polyp turns out to be cancerous.
agree!! My first colonoscopy they removed 8 pre-cancerous polyps. FIT was never going to detect those
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