The Truth About Colonoscopy: Be informed before giving consent (Part 1)
Colonoscopy is the most commonly used method to screen for colon cancer, which is said to account for around 10% of all cancers globally. It is second leading cause of cancer death in men and women [combined] in the U.S. As of 2020 , approximately 69% of adults aged 50 to 75 years have had a least one colonoscopy, representing 62.3 million people. Colon cancer is usually diagnosed when a person is in their 60s and it is more common in African Americans. For more stats about colon cancer go here. A Short History of Colonoscopes The first fiberoptic colonoscope was developed by Drs. William Wolff and Hiromi Shinya of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City in 1969. This was a huge leap forward over a rigid pipe, called a sigmoidoscope, previously used to peer into the rectum of patients who had signs of cancer. The flexible scope allows the practitioner to examine the entire length of the colon. By 1973, more than 5,000 colonoscopies had been performed, demonstrating the utility a