Thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) giving the go signal for the PillCam Colon, patients who need to undergo colon screening no longer have to dread about the invasive colonoscopy procedures.
The PillCam Colon is a pill-sized device with two tiny cameras designed to help doctors see through your colon to spot polyps and other signs of colon cancer. To use, all you need to do is swallow the device just like any other pill. Once down there, PillCam Colon will start to take photos of your digestive system and beam the information to a receiver device on your waist. The doctor then connects the receiver box to a computer to review the results.
The PillCam Colon website says that the device is best for individuals who suffer from complications of an invasive colon exam such as those that suffer from severe pulmonary or cardiac disease, obstructive sleep apnea, morbid obesity, cirrhosis and those who show allergic reaction to sedation.
"For these people, and many others, PillCam COLON is complementary to colonoscopy and offers an optimal balance of minimal risk in a *high accuracy minimally invasive, convenient diagnostic procedure. It could be the alternative that you and your doctor have been searching for," the site read.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends regular colonoscopies to adults 50 to 75 years old. Unfortunately, many adults do not follow the recommendation because of what is involved with the procedure: invasive probing using a four-foot long tube.
The FDA and health experts, however, hope that the availability of the new device will attract more adults to undergo regular screening they tend to avoid because of fears of pain, embarrassment and discomfort.
"We have made tremendous strides in increasing the number of people who are getting screened for colon cancer, starting at age 50 for the average risk individual. Colonoscopy is the most comprehensive option, but for up to 10% of individuals, achieving a complete colonoscopy may not be possible," said Colon Cancer Alliance CEO Eric Hargis. "For those individuals, PillCam COLON capsule endoscopy could be an effective option to allow their gastroenterologist to complete a colon examination. And who wouldn't want that kind of peace of mind for this unique cancer -- that we can largely prevent with the aid of diagnostic exams that detect the presence of polyps."
The Pillcam Colon's price isn't as scary as well. It merely costs $500.
