Every 3 years Have a colonoscopy anyone else?

Tests and investigations
1

i have had pylops removed in the past during colonoscopies. It has been recommended ro have a  colonscopy every three years. 

I have a really hard time with the prep it is very difficult and seems to really cause stomach issues for weeks later. Foods are difficult to pass and find my doc adding to eat more fiber. Some of the fiber foods I do not seem to digest. Especially cabbage and peas. Several other veggies as well. I also drink fiber added to water and other types of fiber available. 

Anyone have this problem after colonoscopy?

 

2

I understand about 3% of bowel polyps become cancerous, but to be on the safe side, all/most polyps are removed. Do you have a family history of bowel cancer, especially with people under 60?

I don't have colonoscopies, an informed decision, I weighed up the pros and cons and decided not to have them. All cancer screening carries risk and hopefully, a chance of benefiting, but it's a choice, one that legally and ethically requires informed consent. The problem is, IMO, we don't get a balanced presentation of the risks and benefits, in fact, some of the official discourse is biased in favour of screening.

Women are often told to just have their pap tests and mammograms. I've declined both, based on the evidence.

A small group of women aged 30 to 60 who test HPV+ have a small chance of benefiting from a 5 yearly pap test, everyone else is simpy exposing themselves to the risk of a false positive, excess biopsy or over-treatment. You can self test for HPV too, no need for speculum exams. The Dutch program is evidence based, they offer 5 HPV tests or self-tests at ages 30,35,40,50 and 60 and a 5 yearly pap test is only offered to the roughly 5% who test HPV+...

I decided against mammograms because the evidence suggests the risks with screening exceeds any benefit - the Nordic Cochrane Institute, an independent, not for profit, medical research group, have an excellent summary of the evidence on their website. I'd recommend it to all women.

About 50% of screen-detected breast cancers are over-diagnosed, and any benefit of screening is wiped out when you consider women who die from other cancers or heart events after treatment.

Bowel screening - screening does not reduce all-cause mortality, I found that concerning, there is also the small risk of perforation. I'd get a second or even third opinion, my husband has them every 10 years because he has a family history of bowel cancer, although they were all older people. Anyway, he decided to have a colonoscopy 10 yearly and uses a FOBT every 2 years.

We're all different and will take a different view with screening but the important thing is to understand what you're accepting as far as risk and actual benefit is concerned.

Three yearly sounds excessive to me, I'd be getting another opinion. My brother-in-law has had polyps removed, he has a colonoscopy every 5 years.

3

Thank you for all the information provided. I have questioned a lot of these tests . Yearly Breast-mammograms done every year is part of wemons health programs in the US Past a certain age. It's referred to as preventative health care testing, as well as colonoscopy. All covered by health insurance designed to lower the risks of some diseases and cancers. 

 

The standard view in the US is preventive health care with testing finding cancer early saves lives and costs on treating advanced cancers. Also includes standard blood testing for variations in showing other markers for disease in order to catching them early. Therefore lowers health care costs. 

It is very important to have another countries point of view to these tests that continues as a constant worry wondering if I will have colon polyps that finally meet the opposite side of the colon which then is cancer even waiting 3 years. Each sample removed is sent to a lab and many of mine were pre cancerous. 

Its a long wait to hear from the lab reporting their findings. 

Has your brother-in-law had his polyps removed come back from lab reports as precancerous?

Mabe we are talking apples and oranges if your brother-in-law has not had any pre cancerous polyps removed as in my case.  Everyone has a different medical history. I will ask my dr if waiting five years is appropiate in my case. 

I don't think not having a colonoscopy at all is a informed decision in my experience. 

I also believe that eating fresh foods and no sugars no genetic engineered foods less red meats and more fish. All important to keeping a clean diet may contribute to a healthier lifestyle and staying active has been proven in clinical studies in many countries around the world to a healthier life.

Then again there this matter of family genes! Hereditary issues can also be factored in. There are many families who thru divorce as children have no contact with the other half of their family to help evaluate many questions that can help with healthcare from family history.

Healthcare and testing can be an interesting issue. I appreciate the time you took to answer my question. It helped clarify a lot of questions spinning in my head.

thanks,

Hope 😊