EDITORIAL: Get the test, keep living

Colonoscopies, however unpleasant, save lives. The New England Journal of Medicine this winter reported that in patients tracked for 20 years, the death rate from colorectal cancer was cut by 53 percent in those who had the test and had precancerous polyps removed.

Lois Wipperling tells of her cancer diagnosis in a letter to the editor today and she urges people 50 and over to have the test. We commend her for sharing such personal information in hopes of making a difference in someone else’s life. Her letter follows a story on Wednesday’s Health, Mind & Body page about why these tests are important.

During a colonoscopy, a doctor examines the inside of the large intestine with a tiny camera mounted on a slender tube. Patients are sedated. The actual test is quite peaceful.

The peace of mind that can come from the screening, however, should be the focus. Of course those who get the “all clear” and don’t need another colonoscopy for 10 years are the most relieved.

For those people who learn they have precancerous or cancerous growths, the colonoscopy can be the difference between life and death: The earlier a cancer is caught, the better your chances.

Early diagnosis can mean you don’t even need chemotherapy or radiation, provided that surgeons remove the bad cells.

Colon cancer is No. 2 on the nation’s deadly cancer list. Get the test.

Tags: opinion, editorials