Morning colonoscopies might work better

November 6, 2009 (WLS) -- The time of day you have a colon cancer screening could a play a role in what doctors detect.

New research from the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests early morning colonoscopies detect more polyps than screenings done later in the day. That's significant because detecting and removing polyps is believed to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 60 to 90 percent.

Researchers say colonoscopies that started at 8:30 a.m. or earlier detected 27 percent more polyps per person than screenings performed at a later time.

The improved rate may have something to do with bowel preparation from the night before. Researchers also suspect that doctor fatigue may have something to do with detection as the day wears on.

Study details are in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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