{"id":22623,"date":"2020-07-27T16:40:11","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T21:40:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/?p=22623"},"modified":"2021-07-16T10:29:05","modified_gmt":"2021-07-16T15:29:05","slug":"you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy","title":{"rendered":"You Probably Don\u2019t Need A Colonoscopy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quite often the patient sitting before me helpfully finishes my sentence. \u201cYeah, yeah, I know, I need a colonoscopy.\u201d This happens in person or during a Telemed visit when I remark how they\u2019re approaching (or recently turned) 50, 60, or beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or they\u2019re a few years beyond 50 or 60, and I genially ask, \u201cYour colonoscopy<\/a> current?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not willfully induce the stricken look or the dead silence on the phone. In fact, I try to look, or at least sound, empathic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since nobody wants<\/em> a colonoscopy, the two most common patient responses I hear when a colonoscopy is due are perfectly reasonable. It\u2019s either \u201cI\u2019ve been meaning to get one\u201d or \u201cI had one once. The prep was so horrible I just keep putting off the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so I enjoy the delighted smile or the surprised \u201cReally?!\u201d when I say they likely won\u2019t need a colonoscopy, either as a first timer or as a repeater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People at higher risk
<\/strong>In fact, the only people who really need a full colonoscopy are those with a higher- than-average risk for developing colon cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re among this group if you have a:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–Significant family history of colon cancer, meaning you have a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, child) who had colon cancer.
–Previous abnormal colonoscopy (showing one or more intestinal polyps or inflammation).
–History of certain illnesses, including ulcerative colitis or Crohn\u2019s disease.
–Genetic predisposition to developing cancer anywhere in the body (fortunately, this is rare).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otherwise, you\u2019re a candidate for a test called Cologuard<\/a>. Many people have never heard of Cologuard, though the company advertises regularly on TV and in magazines. I suspect even if people saw the ad they\u2019d ignore it, thinking if Cologuard were all that good their primary care doctor would have told them about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be honest, doctors are slow to embrace new ideas, especially one as radical as discouraging colonoscopy in an average-risk patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, if a primary care doc were to ask the local gastroenterologist what he thought about Cologuard, he\u2019d likely not hear the truth, which would be \u201cIt\u2019s very reliable and I see it as a major threat to my income stream.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Believe me when I say the major medical centers, like Northwestern and Rush, with dozens of gastroenterologists on the payroll, are not going feature Cologuard brochures in the lobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How easy is the Cologuard test?
<\/strong>If you don\u2019t have any of the risks listed above, answer this one question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan you move your bowels?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you answered yes, you\u2019re a candidate for Cologuard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, to make it a little more challenging, \u201cCan you collect a small amount of fecal material in a special container, add a liquid preservative, screw the lid on tightly, and mail it back to the lab?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no special prep, no change in your diet, no missed workdays. You don\u2019t even have to wear a hospital gown that opens in the rear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your physician can prescribe a Cologuard or you can contact Cologuard directly<\/a> and they\u2019ll supply a telemedicine provider (MD or nurse practitioner) to OK it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cologuard will then contact your insurer for approval, though virtually all insurers cover the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cologuard collection kit will then be mailed to you. If you need help with it, here\u2019s a link<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it accurate?
<\/strong>Cologuard is as accurate as a colonoscopy for average-risk patients. It works by using DNA technology. Any abnormal growth (polyp, cancer) sheds cells containing abnormal DNA. If any are found, that\u2019s a situation that requires further investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that \u201cfurther investigation\u201d will, of course, be a colonoscopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the couple of hundred Cologuards I have ordered, fewer than ten results were positive and all of them turned out to be due to small polyps that were removed during the follow-up colonoscopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of colonoscopies, I refer all my positive patients to Lotsu Digestive<\/a> over in Greektown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are four reasons for this, the most important being that Dr. Lotsu<\/a> is an excellent gastroenterologist who spends a lot of time discussing the procedure beforehand and his findings afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, Lotsu Digestive is a small office, and the procedure is performed on-site. You don\u2019t need to travel to a large hospital where colonoscopies are performed assembly-line style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, since you\u2019ll need to fast before a colonoscopy, you\u2019ll be famished when it\u2019s over and you can reward yourself with a nice Greek meal. Opa!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, Dr. Lotsu is my wife\u2019s gastroenterologist and she told me I\u2019d be crazy to send a patient to anyone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s not, however, my gastroenterologist. I use Cologuard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be well,
David Edelberg, MD<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Quite often the patient sitting before me helpfully finishes my sentence. \u201cYeah, yeah, I know, I need a colonoscopy.\u201d This happens in person or during a Telemed visit when I remark how they\u2019re approaching (or recently turned) 50, 60, or beyond. Or they\u2019re a few years beyond 50 or 60, and I genially ask, \u201cYour […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2087,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,29,130,3,20],"tags":[1684,2186,935,463,2187,383,137],"class_list":["post-22623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-digestion","category-integrative-medicine","category-knowledge-base","category-y","tag-cologuard","tag-colon","tag-colon-cancer","tag-colon-cancer-prevention","tag-colon-health","tag-colonoscopy","tag-digestion"],"yoast_head":"\r\nYou Probably Don\u2019t Need A Colonoscopy | WholeHealth Chicago<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In fact, the only people who really need a full colonoscopy are those with a higher- than-average risk for developing colon cancer.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"You Probably Don\u2019t Need A Colonoscopy | WholeHealth Chicago\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In fact, the only people who really need a full colonoscopy are those with a higher- than-average risk for developing colon cancer.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"WholeHealth Chicago\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wholehealthchicago\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-07-27T21:40:11+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-07-16T15:29:05+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"wholehealthchicago\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@wholehealthchi\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@wholehealthchi\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"wholehealthchicago\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy\",\"name\":\"You Probably Don\u2019t Need A Colonoscopy | WholeHealth Chicago\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-07-27T21:40:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-07-16T15:29:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8f28cef347f94e6801d2bdd38b9cea19\"},\"description\":\"In fact, the only people who really need a full colonoscopy are those with a higher- than-average risk for developing colon cancer.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"You Probably Don\u2019t Need A Colonoscopy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"WholeHealth Chicago\",\"description\":\"WholeHealth Chicago is the Midwest's oldest and most respected center for integrative care, successfully blending the latest advances in conventional medicine with a wide range of clinically proven alternative therapies.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8f28cef347f94e6801d2bdd38b9cea19\",\"name\":\"wholehealthchicago\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b63bce17acaeb51f185933c60fa6fa86c347679a70b79ec51e5b772e271a469f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b63bce17acaeb51f185933c60fa6fa86c347679a70b79ec51e5b772e271a469f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"wholehealthchicago\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/author\/wholehealthchicago\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"You Probably Don\u2019t Need A Colonoscopy | WholeHealth Chicago","description":"In fact, the only people who really need a full colonoscopy are those with a higher- than-average risk for developing colon cancer.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"You Probably Don\u2019t Need A Colonoscopy | WholeHealth Chicago","og_description":"In fact, the only people who really need a full colonoscopy are those with a higher- than-average risk for developing colon cancer.","og_url":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy","og_site_name":"WholeHealth Chicago","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/wholehealthchicago","article_published_time":"2020-07-27T21:40:11+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-07-16T15:29:05+00:00","author":"wholehealthchicago","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@wholehealthchi","twitter_site":"@wholehealthchi","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"wholehealthchicago","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy","url":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy","name":"You Probably Don\u2019t Need A Colonoscopy | WholeHealth Chicago","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-07-27T21:40:11+00:00","dateModified":"2021-07-16T15:29:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8f28cef347f94e6801d2bdd38b9cea19"},"description":"In fact, the only people who really need a full colonoscopy are those with a higher- than-average risk for developing colon cancer.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/27\/you-probably-dont-need-a-colonoscopy#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"You Probably Don\u2019t Need A Colonoscopy"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/","name":"WholeHealth Chicago","description":"WholeHealth Chicago is the Midwest's oldest and most respected center for integrative care, successfully blending the latest advances in conventional medicine with a wide range of clinically proven alternative therapies.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8f28cef347f94e6801d2bdd38b9cea19","name":"wholehealthchicago","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b63bce17acaeb51f185933c60fa6fa86c347679a70b79ec51e5b772e271a469f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b63bce17acaeb51f185933c60fa6fa86c347679a70b79ec51e5b772e271a469f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"wholehealthchicago"},"url":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/author\/wholehealthchicago"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2087"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22623"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27250,"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22623\/revisions\/27250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wholehealthchicago.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}