A colonoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the large bowel and the distal portion of the small bowel with a camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. Colonoscopies are the most effective way to screen for colon cancer which is treatable if detected in its early stages. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults within the ages of 45 to 75 undergo screening for colorectal cancer through colonoscopies. For a full list of conditions that are diagnosed and treated with scoping procedures, please click here.
