The Medical Advisor

Researchers delving into the timing of subsequent colonoscopies found that for some people, the risks are no different if they wait 15 years instead of 10. The invasive and expensive nature of colonoscopies makes determining how to maximize their usefulness—particularly when it comes to follow-up screenings—a prominent topic of research. It’s undisputed that the surgical-based test can save lives, but the timing remains a moving target. Three years ago, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force lowered the recommended age for the first colorectal cancer screening by five years—from 50 years of age to 45. Now, the gap between the first and second tests is being scrutinized. Long-term data used in a JAMA Oncology study published May 2 suggests it may be time to move the follow-up screening back five years in certain circumstances. Specifically, the study indicates that anyone who doesn’t have a family history of colorectal cancer and whose first colonoscopy was free of polyps—abnormal tis

Hours before America’s biggest cancer conference starts in Chicago, a small biotech may have stolen the show, touting late-stage results in a Thursday afternoon press release that added over $5 billion to its market capitalization — with one major caveat. Summit Therapeutics said its experimental cancer drug beat Merck’s flagship immunotherapy Keytruda in a head-to-head Phase 3 study of non-small cell lung cancer patients in China. The Miami-based biotech said it was the first time a cancer drug has pulled off the feat of toppling Keytruda in this type of cancer. The readout triggered a multibillion-dollar stock swing, with Summit $SMMT closing up 272% on Thursday and commanding a $7.7 billion market capitalization. Merck saw its shares $MRK fall just over 1%. For all the market excitement, the results come from an interim analysis described in a press release without disclosing specific clinical results. Summit said the full dataset will be presented later this year at a medical confe

Colonoscopy is the most commonly used method to screen for colon cancer, which is said to account for around 10% of all cancers globally. It is second leading cause of cancer death in men and women [combined] in the U.S.   As of 2020 , approximately 69% of adults aged 50 to 75 years have had a least one colonoscopy, representing 62.3 million people. Colon cancer is usually diagnosed when a person is in their 60s and it is more common in African Americans. For more stats about colon cancer  go here. A Short History of Colonoscopes The first fiberoptic colonoscope was developed by Drs. William Wolff and Hiromi Shinya of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City in 1969. This was a huge leap forward over a rigid pipe, called a sigmoidoscope, previously used to peer into the rectum of patients who had signs of cancer. The flexible scope allows the practitioner to examine the entire length of the colon. By 1973, more than 5,000 colonoscopies had been performed, demonstrating the utility a