[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.