Colon exam can be a life saver, experts say

WASHINGTON -- A colonoscopy has been called by some doctors the "save your life screening test" because the procedure is so successful in finding precancerous polyps, removing them and preventing cancer from getting started.

"Virtually all colon cancer starts as polyps," said Dr. Christy A. Russell, a medical oncologist at the University of Southern California Medical Center. "The purpose of a colonoscopy is not to look for cancer, but to remove those polyps.

"If they are removed, then it's virtually certain you will not have colon cancer," said Russell, the president-elect of the American Cancer Society in California.

Colon cancer kills more than 50,000 Americans annually.

Once a patient is sedated, the doctor threads a flexible tube containing an optical scope up the colon. The doctor is able to examine every inch of the colon, looking for polyps.

If polyps are found, the doctor uses a wire loop to remove them.