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  • NEWS FEATURE

Colonoscopies save lives. Why did a trial suggest they might not?

A major clinical study raised questions about one of the most celebrated cancer-screening procedures available, but a close look at the data tells a different story.
  1. Emily Sohn

    1. Emily Sohn is a freelance journalist in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Conceptual illustration showing colon as a question mark.

Illustration by Jasiek Krzysztofiak

It was an uncomfortable moment for people who perform colonoscopies. In October, a massive randomized clinical trial in Europe presented its initial results1, which suggested that, as a screening tool, colonoscopies don’t save as many lives as expected.

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Nature 613, 235-237 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00020-5

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