New studies are showing the longer wait times between colonoscopy appointments, the better. As reported by Health, JAMA Oncology published a study that included a large group of people who had no family history of colon disease. The study revealed the group described previously may be able to wait 15 years as opposed to the previous recommended time of 10 years to get their second colonoscopy done.
Colonoscopies are recommended for people ages 45 to 75. Colonoscopies help doctors spot cancer or any tumors that may need to be removed. Multiple colonoscopies could lead to wear and tear on the body due to the harsh nature of the procedure. There are small chances of infection, bleeding or a tear in the large bowel from the procedure, Mahdi Fallah, MD, PhD, told Health.
Also, the 15-year recommendations can help rural areas with handling the load for physicians with colonoscopy appointments.
Other doctors told Health they recommend a colonoscopy once a decade.
“It’s estimated that it generally takes a polyp [a growth or tumor] around 10 years to develop into cancer,” Misagh Karimi, MD said.
Another doctor pointed out how only 5-10% of colon cancer cases are hereditary, so leaning on a prior negative test and no family history isn’t enough to wait longer. People with higher risk are actually encouraged to get screened earlier and have tests done more frequently.
