Colon screenings proven to save lives

If you want to save your life, save your butt first. 

Colonoscopies are the only cancer screenings I stand behind, and that's because they can do something all the PSA tests and mammograms in the world can't. 

They can save lives, including yours, with new research now showing the procedure can chop your death risk in HALF. 

Researchers from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City tracked 2,602 patients who had polyps removed during colonoscopies. Over a follow-up period of up to 20 years, there were just 12 colorectal cancer deaths in that group. 

This is nothing short of miraculous, because cancer stats tell us that a group this size should have least 25 deaths from colon cancer. 

That's a difference of 53 percent. Looked at another way, NOT getting scoped will double your risk of dying of the disease. 

But is this really a surprise to anyone? It's downright obvious why colonoscopies work so well: It's the only screening that gives docs the power to detect and remove cancers at the same time. 

It comes with minimal risk, almost no side effects and you can be done before lunch. 

But despite the fact that this is one of the easiest ways to save your life, I can hear some of you screaming at your computer screens right now. 

"You want me to let a doctor stick WHAT up where?!" 

All I can say is, get over it. Your life is on the line here. 

Find a good gastroenterologist, and by that I don't mean the one with the biggest ad in the phonebook. Get a recommendation from someone you trust, and then ask the doctor how often he detects polyps. 

Don't be shy about this. A good doc will be ready for the question and armed with an answer -- and a good doc will be in line with national averages, which means he should find polyps in roughly 15 percent of women and 25 percent of men. 

Then, schedule your appointment for first thing in the morning. Studies have shown docs detect more polyps earlier in the day -- and since each polyp is a potential cancer, you want to make sure he spots every last one. 

Still reading? Stop here -- get on the horn and get started. It's not just your butt that's on the line.