Colonoscopy done! Polyps found and removed! Your videos were so helpful in getting me through my concern about the prep which ultimately was not nearly as bad as I feared! Thank you!
Here in Australia we have a national bowel cancer screening program. Everyone between 50 and 74 years receives a free poo test in the mail every 2 years. Also, our colonoscopies are included in our national health care - so if we need one we don't have to worry about the cost. I think it's great given how prevalent this type of cancer is.
Australia also bought a limitless supply of hepatitis C treatments from one of the large pharmaceutical companies. Now the Australian government can focus on effectively delivering the treatment without concern for its unit cost. Cool!
Kaiser in the San Francisco Bay Area tried to tell everyone that they only wanted the blood in the stool home test done and that a colonoscopy would only be performed if blood was in the stool and that's exactly what you were talking about. My friend was sure happy be he wouldn't have to do the prep. They even had their Doctors promoting this new cost cutting procedure. It is definitely not about patient care, it is about providing the lowest cost health care. I have several friends that have Kaiser through work and you have to fight for everything. Sorry to blab on and on Dr Cooper!
It's an important point to bring up. A few years ago Kaiser completed a study wherein they gave a home stool blood test to patients who declined a colonoscopy. The results were impressive -- there was a substantial increase of patients who participated in colon cancer screening and the number of colon cancers in the population decreased. Many patients who had a positive stool blood test were motivated to pursue a colonoscopy they would have avoided without knowing they had blood in their stool. I think it's important to maintain choice so I would prefer they gave patients an option. Patients should be aware that colonoscopy is the preferred screening tool for anyone who has above average risk for developing colon cancer. The home stool blood tests are a great option for those with average risk who prefer this option. Ultimately, I'm happy for more people to participate in colon cancer screening.
One of the Kaiser doctor refused my five year colonoscopy before, I changed another doctor and my new doctor is very understandable and he gave me a colonoscopy immediately.
I'm curious why you haven't mentioned the Virtual Colonoscopy? according to Mayo (I believe) it's relatively non-invasive and finds issues that none of the other tests you mentioned find. Just curious. It sounds like a good option to us who are elderly and concerned about the risks of colonoscopy.
cologuard can not distinguish blood from hemorrhoids and blood from tumor. So the cologuard should be a positive test and if it’s not positive it underscores that it’s not that sensitive. Either way this highlights a significant con of cologuard. It’s also worth noting that the test performs particularly poorly in younger patients and is considered less reliable for those under 50. Yet the company has started aggressively advertising to the 45-50 age group.
It sounds like you’d be stuck doing a colonoscopy anyway. They don’t charge for the test until you return it. So having thrown it away there should be no charge. I’m glad to have helped.
I had a colonoscopy in 2021 . Two polyps were removed and were not cancerous . At the beginning of September 2024 I started having diarrhea that would not stop . I started taking pink peptobismal in doses of 4 . I am going to get the FDA approved blood test to detect cancer . I may have to have another colonoscopy in 2024 . The FDA approved blood test can give false positives or false negatives. A blood test for celiac disease did not detect any gluten antigens . The stool test was inconclusive . I still take the pink stuff . It could be that i have developed IBS . It is easy think of doom and gloom outcomes . I have lost some weight . I eat gluten free because I may have gluten sensitivity . I remember how bad I felt eating gluten foods and it was horrible .
This fits zero with any scientific evidence. There’s no reason to do two forms of screening. It just wastes money. Which in case it has not been noted, we don’t have endless amounts of.
This is often done in practice. The trade off is raising false positives. But that’s acceptable as we can follow with a test that is highly accurate…a colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy done! Polyps found and removed! Your videos were so helpful in getting me through my concern about the prep which ultimately was not nearly as bad as I feared! Thank you!
Glad I could help!
Here in Australia we have a national bowel cancer screening program. Everyone between 50 and 74 years receives a free poo test in the mail every 2 years. Also, our colonoscopies are included in our national health care - so if we need one we don't have to worry about the cost. I think it's great given how prevalent this type of cancer is.
Australia also bought a limitless supply of hepatitis C treatments from one of the large pharmaceutical companies. Now the Australian government can focus on effectively delivering the treatment without concern for its unit cost. Cool!
@@MarkCooperMD I didn't know that!
LIFESAVER 👀
Kaiser in the San Francisco Bay Area tried to tell everyone that they only wanted the blood in the stool home test done and that a colonoscopy would only be performed if blood was in the stool and that's exactly what you were talking about. My friend was sure happy be he wouldn't have to do the prep. They even had their Doctors promoting this new cost cutting procedure. It is definitely not about patient care, it is about providing the lowest cost health care. I have several friends that have Kaiser through work and you have to fight for everything. Sorry to blab on and on Dr Cooper!
It's an important point to bring up. A few years ago Kaiser completed a study wherein they gave a home stool blood test to patients who declined a colonoscopy. The results were impressive -- there was a substantial increase of patients who participated in colon cancer screening and the number of colon cancers in the population decreased. Many patients who had a positive stool blood test were motivated to pursue a colonoscopy they would have avoided without knowing they had blood in their stool. I think it's important to maintain choice so I would prefer they gave patients an option. Patients should be aware that colonoscopy is the preferred screening tool for anyone who has above average risk for developing colon cancer. The home stool blood tests are a great option for those with average risk who prefer this option. Ultimately, I'm happy for more people to participate in colon cancer screening.
One of the Kaiser doctor refused my five year colonoscopy before, I changed another doctor and my new doctor is very understandable and he gave me a colonoscopy immediately.
Yes! Im going thru the same thing, the Kaiser doc is pushing the FIT test. But clearly the colonoscopy is the way to go re polyps.
Great channel please keep making videos
Thanks I hope you continue to enjoy the channel!
I’m 45 scared to get colonoscopy
You don't feel it. It's the prep that's terrible.
@@itsmebedazzle you'll feel it if they perforate your bowel!
BLESSINGS 💞 LIFE-SAVER👀
I'm curious why you haven't mentioned the Virtual Colonoscopy? according to Mayo (I believe) it's relatively non-invasive and finds issues that none of the other tests you mentioned find. Just curious. It sounds like a good option to us who are elderly and concerned about the risks of colonoscopy.
Because outside of Mayo and select academic centers I don’t think it’s done very reliably. This is a popular question though.
Dr THANK YOU for info, but PLEASE, improve the AUDIO that is very poor‼️
I just collected a sample for Cologuard- and seen blood. I have a history of hemorrhoids, will they know the difference?
cologuard can not distinguish blood from hemorrhoids and blood from tumor. So the cologuard should be a positive test and if it’s not positive it underscores that it’s not that sensitive. Either way this highlights a significant con of cologuard.
It’s also worth noting that the test performs particularly poorly in younger patients and is considered less reliable for those under 50. Yet the company has started aggressively advertising to the 45-50 age group.
@@MarkCooperMD I decided to throw the kit away and not send it in. I will have my Dr. set me up for a colonoscopy instead.
Thank you for the reply.
It sounds like you’d be stuck doing a colonoscopy anyway. They don’t charge for the test until you return it. So having thrown it away there should be no charge. I’m glad to have helped.
I had a colonoscopy in 2021 . Two polyps were removed and were not cancerous . At the beginning of September 2024 I started having diarrhea that would not stop . I started taking pink peptobismal in doses of 4 . I am going to get the FDA approved blood test to detect cancer . I may have to have another colonoscopy in 2024 . The FDA approved blood test can give false positives or false negatives. A blood test for celiac disease did not detect any gluten antigens . The stool test was inconclusive . I still take the pink stuff . It could be that i have developed IBS . It is easy think of doom and gloom outcomes . I have lost some weight . I eat gluten free because I may have gluten sensitivity . I remember how bad I felt eating gluten foods and it was horrible .
This fits zero with any scientific evidence. There’s no reason to do two forms of screening. It just wastes money. Which in case it has not been noted, we don’t have endless amounts of.
My colonoscopy showed nothing but I still have heavy bleeding.
Hemorroids?
We have no money to check that’s why
The stool blood test should be available for around $20. It’s a fairly good test when used annually.
never a colonoscopie, no sir!!
Statistically speaking, one way to reduce the possibility of false negatives of the FIT Tests would be to have the stool test on 3 successive days.
This is often done in practice. The trade off is raising false positives. But that’s acceptable as we can follow with a test that is highly accurate…a colonoscopy.
the problem with the FIT test isn't so much false negatives, but rather its miserable performance with polyps.