Colonoscopy more likely to catch cancer on your left side

It has long been rumored that colonoscopy screening tests are 90 percent effective at locating cancer in your colon. Yet a new study published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine indicates that the screening method is not as effective as doctors thought, often missing cancers located on a person’s right side. New York Times science reporter Gina Kolata explains the study and how it might affect your next doctor’s visit. To find out more, read Gina Kolata’s article, “Colonoscopies Miss Many Cancers, Study Finds,” at the New York Times.