
A new study questions the effectiveness of colonoscopies for cancer screening. Pictured is an endoscopist with an endoscope in his hands.
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New study questions the effectiveness of colonoscopies
Colonoscopies are a dreaded rite of passage for many middle-age adults. The promise has been that if you endure the awkwardness and invasiveness of having a camera travel the length of your large intestine once every decade after age 45, you have the best chance of catching -- and perhaps preventing -- colorectal cancer. It's the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. Some 15 million colonoscopies are performed in the US each year.

