Why This Matters

Colonoscopy is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening. It is one of the few screening procedures that can both detect and remove precancerous growths in a single visit.

The obstacle has never been the procedure. It is the preparation that comes before it. Patients are asked to manage a multi-day laxative regimen alone at home, and that experience is consistently identified as the worst part of the process. It is a leading reason people delay screening or avoid it altogether.

Preparation has remained largely unchanged for decades while nearly every other part of the procedure has advanced.