Abstract: Capsule endoscopy is now recognized as the first line examination for patients with obscure bleeding and in selected patients with various small bowel diseases. A capsule endoscope has been designed for exploring the colon. Two pilot studies and one large multicenter trial have shown that the colon capsule is feasible and safe and provides encouraging data although its sensitivity for detecting colonic polyps is lower than optical colonoscopy. Technological improvements of the capsule and adaptation of the colon preparation are expected to increase the sensitivity of the colon capsule. ... Read more

Colonoscopy saves life. This is partly because colorectal cancer develops slowly in stages over decades. Fortunately, if it is caught at any stage other than the terminal metastatic stage, it can be cured by surgery. Despite its unequivocal benefits, many people shun away from the unpleasant experience. “When it hits a corner, you know,” said Frank Rasada, 69, of La Quinta, CA who overcame the fear and experienced optical colonoscopy twice. About two thirds of the people who are recommended to get one evade the procedure.

Now there’s less excuse to avoid getting a colonoscopy. Dr. Perry J. Pickhardt and colleagues ... Read more