Delivering 31 Free Screening Colonoscopies

May 02, 2012

Gainesville, FL – Just over a month after The Endoscopy Center & Digestive Disease Associates announced they would give away 31 FREE screening colonoscopies during Colon Cancer Awareness Month, results of those procedures are being announced. Those potentially lifesaving colonoscopies were performed on the campus of North Florida Regional Medical Center.

In addition to being 50 and never had a screening colonoscopy, participants all had recently lost their jobs and were without health insurance. The project was designed to reach out to people who, without this gift, truly would have no chance of this important test. A similar effort happened in March 2010 and March 2011.

“This year’s program continues the success of the two previous years. As always, patients were very grateful for the opportunity to have screenings provided without any charges,” said Gastroenterologist Charles Sninsky, MD. “These patients would not have completed a screening without our program, and we are honored to be a part of it.”

Results of the 31 Free Colonoscopies include the following:

• 48 percent of patients had polyps that were removed and sent for biopsy. (Colon cancers begin as growths called polyps.)
• Of the polyps removed and sent for biopsy, 67 percent were adenomas (potentially malignant)
• 23 percent of patients were found to have diverticulosis

Colon cancer affects men and women alike. Early detection is key to beating colon cancer. Screening colonoscopies make that possible, and some colon cancers can be prevented. That’s why it is so important to follow guidelines that recommend most people have a screening colonoscopy when they turn 50.

Those who lead this project and keep track of the data for the three years it has been in place say that, of 108 people who received free screening colonoscopies, 54 had polyps. Of those 54 people, 32 were potentially malignant. That translates into 58 percent of polyps removed being potential future cancers. Removed during the colonoscopy procedure, those polyps will never have a chance to become cancerous.

“We continue to be just as excited about this program as we were when we started in back in 2010,” says Michael Banks, North Florida Endoscopy Center Director. “In addition to helping the individuals who received the free screening colonoscopies, we have had a chance to spread the message that colonoscopies save lives.”

Even though screening has reduced the incidence of cancer over the years, many people who should be screened choose not to do so. Because screening rates remain lower than they should be, less than 40 percent of colon cancers are found early. Colorectal cancer remains one of our nation’s biggest cancer killers – second only to lung cancer.