up to 30 of every 10,000 patients during this procedure, with
death occurring in 1 in 10,000. But the death rate of colon can-
cer itself is only about 1.8 per 10,000.
Herein lies one of the stories left untold by the popular media.
With these evaluations come real risk of injury and death. The
harm could also come in the form of follow-up care, including
unnecessary surgery or drugs, significant psychological stress,
or the recommendation for yet more tests. Rather than screen-
ing the entire population, those at high risk should be the ones
screened.
An option for everyone is to use low-risk, non-invasive screen-
ing practices such as blood, urine and saliva tests to reveal risk
factors or functional problems. By revealing problems that can
be corrected before they become a full-blown disease, these
tests are much more effective screening procedures than other
tests that are suited only for ruling out already-existing diseases.
And there are virtually no health risks associated with these
tests themselves.
Besides the type of tests already mentioned, examples include
a CBC blood test to assess both red and white blood cells, and
blood-chemistry profiles that measure substances such as
blood sugar (glucose); proteins (globulin and albumin); fats
(cholesterol and triglycerides); minerals (sodium, potassium,
calcium, iron); liver enzymes; vitamin D levels, and others. In
addition, a simple blood test for C-reactive protein measures
chronic inflammation, a precursor to more serious problems
including cancer and heart disease. Salivary hormone tests and
certain urine tests can more accurately reveal functional adre-
nal problems than blood tests.
If the need for further tests arise, it’s important that the need is
genuine; too many patients are told by doctors, “your insurance
covers it anyway.” Matching your particular need with a given
test should be the determining factor.
BEATING THE CANCER ODDS • 335