Colon cancer is on the rise in the U.S. and one reason why could be the dreaded colonoscopy prep. But nowadays there are many avenues to cleaning out your colon!
As Dr. Rosario Ligresti, chief, Division of Gastroenterology at Hackensack University Medical Center explains, colonoscopy prep is easier to take (there are even pill options) and still very effective.
With this being Colon Cancer Awareness Month, I’d like to offer Dr. Ligresti (someone who has a good sense of humor about colonoscopies) as an interview. Here is a video of him demonstrating the different cocktail options for colonoscopy prep.
Why is this so important? Since the 1990s, the rate of colorectal cancer has more than doubled among adults younger than 50, according to the National Cancer Institute. Not only that, but more younger people are now dying from the disease.
This rapid increase is especially puzzling because the rate of colorectal cancer has plummeted among older adults.
One reason could be that while Baby Boomers have come to accept the need for regular colonoscopies - thank you Katie Couric - Generation X has been a bit more reluctant to get screened.
“Although a colonoscopy is considered the "gold standard" for colon cancer screening, it’s one of those things that people really dread,” says Rosario Ligresti, M.D., chief, Division of Gastroenterology at Hackensack University Medical Center.
But now, there are some new options which Dr. Ligresti can also talk about. These news screening choices, like a virtual scan, may make colonoscopies easier, faster and in some ways, more pleasant for patients.
For more information or to book an interview with Dr. Ligresti please contact Mary McGeever at [email protected] or call 551-795-1675.
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