Don’t fall for the new “virtual colonoscopy” sales pitch. There’s a BIG catch
Reading the fine print
“It’s like drinking a dozen Guinness stouts compressed into one. But with a soapy aftertaste. Like soapy anchovies.”
Mmmm!
That was my friend’s attempt to describe the “worst thing I ever put in my mouth.”
That “thing” is a laxative drink. It’s the notorious colonoscopy prep. You have to drink a few liters of it the night before your procedure.
Ask anyone who’s been there and done that. After the laxative, the colonoscopy is a breeze.
But all that is in the past now, according to the Mayo Clinic. Doctors there have developed a new laxative in pill form. Easy!
Unfortunately, there’s a catch. And it’s a HUGE catch.
So here’s fair warning… Don’t fall for it.
Scan scam
As I’ve mentioned before, there are two ways to screen for colon cancer. One is colonoscopy, which uses a camera probe. The other is CT colonography (CTC). Here’s how a Mayo Clinic press release describes this procedure… “A CT scan is used to provide three-dimensional imaging.”
This is also known as “virtual colonoscopy.” It’s touted as more appealing because it’s non-invasive.
Now… Here’s the catch. The new laxative pills can only be used for CTC.
Hmmm. Does that seem odd to you? Did Mayo Clinic researchers really make a laxative that’s perfect for CTC, but your doctor can’t prescribe it for colonoscopy?
Sorry. I’m not buying it. But there’s no mystery to this nonsense.
The Mayo Clinic Department of Radiology in Arizona developed the new laxative. And this just HAPPENS to be the same team that pioneered CTC. They conducted the first studies. They were also the first to offer it for routine care.
The Mayo team would love to see their technology take the lead as the first choice in colon cancer screening. And clearly they’re hoping their easy laxative prep will give them a boost.
Nothing wrong with that. Business is business. New technologies overtake outmoded technologies all the time.
But in fact, there are four BIG things wrong here.
1) CTC may not be as accurate as colonoscopy at spotting smaller polyps. And spotting polyps is kind of the whole reason you’re there in the first place.
2) If doctors find a polyp with colonoscopy, in most cases they remove it during the procedure. But if a CTC scan finds a polyp, the patient has to return for a colonoscopy.
3) CTC is supposedly non-invasive. But before it begins, they pump air into your bowels. As an HSI member once told me, “I thought I was going to blow off the gurney.” She says she felt bloated for days.
4) This one is the deal-breaker… A CTC delivers an enormous single dose of radiation. It’s 400 times stronger than a chest x-ray.
The Mayo press release downplays or completely ignores these significant drawbacks. Meanwhile, the chair of the Radiology Department delivers this sales pitch regarding the new laxative…
“Our hope is that this will make people less anxious and more likely to get screened and will ultimately result in fewer deaths from colorectal cancer.”
Translation: Do it OUR way and lives will be saved.
Well… As long as the massive radiation dose doesn’t cause any cancers. (Fingers crossed!)
This radiological method is potentially dangerous. Don’t let your doctor talk you into this procedure with FOUR major drawbacks.
And besides… How long can it be before doctors start supplying these laxative pills for colonoscopy prep? I’ll bet someone out there is already doing that.
But don’t count on the Mayo radiation department to help out.
p.s. I’ll take my pint of Guinness the old-fashioned way. In a Guinness glass, after a perfect 119-second pull.
Sources:
“Four Pills Replace Liters of Laxative for Colonography at Mayo Clinic” Mayo Clinic press release, 8/23/12, newswise.com
