Simple alternative to colonoscopy

A simple, cheaper exam of just the lower part of the bowel can cut the risk of developing colon cancer or dying of the disease, a large federal study finds.

Many doctors recommend colonoscopy, a more complete test, but many people refuse that costly, unpleasant exam. The study shows that the simpler test, flexible sigmoidoscopy, can be a good option. Although it may seem similar to having a mammogram on just one breast, experts say that even a partial bowel exam is better than none. As one put it, "the best test is the one that gets done."

The study, published online yesterday by the New England Journal of Medicine, will be presented at a digestive diseases conference in San Diego.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and the fourth worldwide. People ages 50 to 75 who are at average risk of colon cancer are urged to get screened, but only about 60 percent do. Government advisers recommend one of three methods: annual stool blood tests, a sigmoidoscopy every five years plus stool tests every three years, or a colonoscopy once a decade. -- AP