A recent study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, supports that colon cancer screening is both cost-effective and cost-saving. For anyone concerned about colon cancer, this research might leave you saying, "So what?" After all, saving lives is the most important goal of cancer screening, and if yours is the life saved, who cares about the cost?
The reason why this research is so important is that large-scale colon cancer screening is expensive. Health insurance companies (including the government - through medicare and medicaid) aren't likely to cover those costs if the screening doesn't save money in the long run.
If, along with the benefit of saving lives, colon cancer screening actually saves insurers money, they will be more likely to invest in screening. And if screening is covered by insurers, more people are likely to be screened. It's a win-win for all involved.
Beyond Cost Savings
One of the best ways to prevent colon cancer is to undergo regular colon cancer screening. Screening methods such as colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy allow your doctor to find and remove colon polyps, which are growths that if not treated, can develop into colon cancer.
In addition to detecting and removing pre-cancerous growths, colon cancer screening is important because it increases the chances that if you do have colon cancer, it is caught early, when it is easier to treat and most likely to be cured. If colon cancer isn't diagnosed until after a person is having symptoms, it's more likely to have spread beyond the colon, making it harder to treat and decreasing the chances of a complete cure.
Mastering the Fear
One excuse that people give for not undergoing colon cancer screening is that they are fearful. People worry that it will hurt or that it's embarrassing. That is absolutely not true. There are many steps you can take to educate yourself on what to expect during a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy, how to best prepare for colon cancer screening, and how to get over your fear of this vital, life-saving test.
I wish my mom had a colonoscopy at age 50. It may have prevented what she has undergone this last year…colon resection / removal of lung & lymph node / brain tumor / chemotherapy / radiation and all of the many tests that go along with each procedure. Get that colonoscopy NOW and save yourself from the grief that cancer can bring. I mean it…this is a true story and the sad thing is, it all could have been prevented.
Now I’m probably going to lose my mom and my kids are going to lose their grandma. 
