The Colon Cancer Detection Industry - It Goes Unquestioned [View all]

[MineralMan]

This year, at my annual Geezer Inspection, my primary care doctor did an end-around on me. He knows I don't think a colonoscopy is something I need. So, he just sent me to the clinic's lab each year for an occult blood stool sample test. He's been pretty good about accepting my preferences.

There is zero family history of colon cancer in my extended family. My excretory habits are dead-on normal. So, I've just believed it would be a waste of time for me.

This, year, though, he ordered a Cologuard test. The box came via UPS. I'm a pretty compliant guy, so I went ahead and did it. And, wouldn't you know, it came back positive. So, I went ahead and got the colonoscopy. I was surprised when I did the nasty prep and showed up for it, and the when the doctor administering it said, "We rarely do colonoscopies for people over 75 years of age, but your doctor has ordered it." Again, I'm a compliant guy, so I said, "OK, just go ahead. I've already done the prep, so you might as well."

When I woke up after the procedure, the doctor came in and said, "Well, I didn't find even a single polyp in there, or anything else that was abnormal at all. You don't need to repeat this, ever."

Much ado about nothing. My normal routine was disrupted for three days. Not a huge deal, but I don't normally fast. I don't normally willingly consume things that cause the effects of that prep, nor do I usually have a procedure that requires sedation. None of this has any out-of-pocket cost to me. It's covered by my Medicare Advantage plan. Still...

I haven't done any research on the statistics around colonoscopies, nor have I looked into the statistics regarding false positive and negative Cologuard results. Cologaurd ads mention both false positive and negative results, though. I didn't know that colonoscopies are not usually given to people over 75 years old. I'm almost 78, and even if they had found something suspicious, they probably wouldn't have done surgery. So, I have to ask myself why I did this in the first place.

It is an industry now. TV Ads run frequently recommending colonoscopies. More ads run for Cologuard. All the time. Every day, really. Even if you don't pay out-of-pocket, those who perform colonoscopies, along with the company that offers Cologuard, get paid. Every time one is done. There was a team of five people involved with my colonoscopy. They all get paid. There is a cost for all of those tests and procedures.

The conventional wisdom now is that we all need a colonoscopy or four during our post-45 years. I wonder. That conventional wisdom has come from all those TV ads and PSAs. I'm not going to spend a bunch of time researching the actual statistics, though. That wouldn't make any difference. But, I wonder...