Despite a recent study, a Colorado doctor advises that you should still have a colonoscopy.

People are pondering whether they still require the intrusive tests after reading the results of a recent European study that examines the efficacy of colonoscopies.

Yes, according to a doctor from Colorado!

Colonoscopies are advised for people starting at age 45 every ten years.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a new European study that contrasted the screening outcomes of a group that was invited vs a group that was not.

The chance of developing colorectal cancer was only 18% lower among those who were invited to get screened, and the risk of dying was not significantly reduced. These outcomes are worse than those of other research.

However, that is not a reasonable comparison, according to Dr. Jaya Kumar, Chief Medical Officer of Swedish Medical Center in Englewood. Only 42% of those who were invited to be examined actually took the test, she notes.

“58% of patients missed the colonoscopy. Therefore, you can’t evaluate the value of a colonoscopy if you haven’t had one, she explained.

If you examine the data for the group that had a screening, according to Kumar, the benefits are bigger. She claimed that it reduced the risk of dying and developing colorectal cancer by 50% and 30%, respectively.

Although Kumar thinks additional research is necessary, she will continue to advise people to obtain colonoscopies.

“The data is overwhelmingly in favor of having those,” Kumar added.

Click here for more details on the recent study.