Colonoscopy exams get a bad rap. Even though the exam is brief
and painless, many people fear and avoid them. Roughly 40
percent of Americans for whom they are recommended are not
getting colonoscopies. Yet colonoscopy is one of the most
effective of all cancer prevention methods. The American Cancer
Society estimates there will be 142,820 diagnoses of colorectal
cancer in 2013 and 50,830 people will die of the disease. As
many as 60 percent of colon cancer deaths could be prevented if
everyone 50 years old or above underwent colonoscopies,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC).