[jdeibele]

My father died of colon cancer at age 67. I've been getting screened every 5 years, first by sigmoidoscopy and the last couple of times with the full colonoscopy.

With a sigmoidoscopy you're awake and the doctor will show you what they're looking at. I guess that's intrusive but it certainly wasn't painful.

With colonoscopy, you're under anesthesia. It was probably intrusive but since I wasn't conscious, I didn't care. There was no pain when I regained consciousness.

I'd rather do a stool sample by mail or dropping it off at the clinic if it has the same results as the colonoscopy. There's always a risk with general anesthesia.

I don't know if my case is the norm and yours is the exception. I tend to think it is. My dad missed spending time with his grandchildren and it's possible he'd still be around if he'd been examined. So get that colonoscopy.

[timr]

I grant you that I'm using an expansive definition of "pain" here...I'm including the day of diarrhea before the test, the stress and (yes, some) pain of the sedation itself, and the unpleasant recovery (nausea, fatigue, etc.) that follows. Maybe it isn't "pain", per se, but it's something we'd all rather avoid.

I should also say the following: if you've got a family history of colon cancer, active symptoms, or some other reason to believe that you're at risk, studies of statistical averages don't apply to you.

[JoeAltmaier]

I never have anaesthesia for colonoscopy. The post-procedure nausea etc are worse than the discomfort of being probed. I you're not squeamish (and I am not) then it's not a big deal to be awake for the procedure.

[SoftTalker]

There's not only a risk with the anesthesia but there's a risk of a perforated colon. It's not the routine risk-free procedure that the providers make it out to be.

[JoeAltmaier]

1 in 1000 have complications. Colon cancer attacks 1 in 25. So that math check out - have your colonoscopy

[timr]

> Colon cancer attacks 1 in 25.

The highest plausible 10-year estimate of colon cancer prevalence from the study was 1.2%. That's 1 in 83, not 1 in 25.

[JoeAltmaier]

Not what I saw on another site, but yours is more recent so ok.

Still a long way from 1:1000