Colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S. In fact, in 2009, 136,717 people were diagnosed with colon cancer and 51,849 died from it.(1) Colonoscopies are one of the most common medical procedures done today. A colonoscopy is performed in order to identify a growth or a polyp at an early stage so that it can be removed it before it becomes cancerous. Colonoscopies are one of the few preventive procedures in conventional medicine that actually improve mortality.
It is well known that patients who have colonic polyps removed are at an increased risk of recurrence. A recent study looked at the efficacy of using antioxidants to prevent recurrent colonic polyps in patients who have undergone colonoscopic removal of polyps.(2)
The scientists conducted a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial which began in 1988. 411 subjects were randomized to receive either a placebo or an active compound—taken daily–containing selenium (200ug), zinc (30mg), vitamin A (2mg), vitamin C (180mg), and vitamin E (30mg).
The authors found that the 15-year cumulative incidence of recurrent polyps in the antioxidant group was 39% reduced as compared to the placebo group.
Comments: This is an important study as colon cancer affects too many people. Simply taking an antioxidant supplement significantly reduced the recurrence of pre-cancerous lesions in the colon. Antioxidant therapy is inexpensive and has little side effects. It makes sense to ensure that you eat food high in antioxidants—fruits and vegetables. Avoid food that depletes the body of antioxidants such as refined carbohydrates—bread, pasta, and cereal made from refined sources.
The results of this study are not surprising to me. I have seen the positive results patients experience when they correct nutrient imbalances. I suggest supplementing with a good multivitamin that has natural sources of nutrients. Biomultiplus from Biotics Research is one such product. A health care practitioner knowledgeable about natural products can help you choose a product that is optimal for your personal biochemistry.
(1) CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/
(2) J. of Gastroent. 2013;48(6):698-705
Doesn’t it make sense in the first place to clean up the diet, cut down on red meat, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and detoxify the colon first before you get into these traumatic burning and cutting tactics? Sure antioxidants are terribly important but if the diet is cleaned up then the body is going to be getting the antioxidants as well. You see I see colonoscopies as typical mainstream treatments but not getting to the cause of the problem but merely covering up the cause to fix the problem in the short term. My question here is once that is undertaken, doesn’t then the colon start to heal itself on its own?
Clive,
I agree with your comment. Unfortunately, that is not how conventional medicine is practiced.
DrB
Not exactly to your point—but isn’t the evidence that colonoscopy reduces mortality pretty weak, based on only cohort and case control epidemiology that’s highly confounded by the healthy user effect among others?
Without long term clinical trials, and considering the not-insignificant and not yet fully understood risks of this highly invasive procedure (a type of surgery, really, in many cases), how can we have confidence the benefits outweigh the harms for average risk healthy people?
Dr. Gilbert Welch, Dr. Nortin Hadler and others have written about this problem and expressed their doubts. I have not yet agreed to the test since to me the evidence seems very weak and, as with statin drugs and the rest, the conflicts of interest among those who’ve produced even this weak evidence give me pause.
Bill,
You are correct–the mortality info is pretty weak for screening colonoscopies. I see little reason to have a colonoscopy if there is no first degree family history (father, mother, sibling), change in bowel habit, or bleeding from the rectum.
DrB