Word: boweled
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INSIDE INFORMATION Colonoscopy is probably the world's most unpopular procedure, but the notoriously uncomfortable test, in which a probe is snaked through the anus and into the bowel, is still considered the gold standard for detecting colon cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. Now there may be a less traumatic alternative. A study shows that a "virtual colonoscopy"--basically, a fancy CAT scan--is nearly as accurate (82%) as the real thing in detecting tiny precancerous polyps. The procedure zaps patients with radiation equivalent to about five chest X rays, but it's noninvasive, requires no sedation...
...going to show up anytime soon--almost certainly not in the next decade. In fact, there may never be a single cure, one drug that will bring every cancer patient back to glowing good health, in part because every type of cancer, from brain to breast to bowel, is different...
...1950s and '60s but turned out to be physically harmful and powerfully addictive. Drugs like fen-phen and Redux, which alter the brain's chemistry, had scary side effects. Newer drugs like orlistat and food substitutes like olestra keep fat from entering the body, but they cause serious bowel discomfort...
...REACTION Sure, athletes look good while they work out, but they may not feel so great. A report suggests that up to 70% may experience stomach distress during exercise. Competitive runners are prone to lower-bowel problems like diarrhea, probably because blood rushes from the intestine to hardworking leg muscles. Weight lifters and cyclists, for their part, tend to suffer from heartburn. Why? Because tensing abdominal muscles or hunching over the handlebars can cause stomach acid to rise into the esophagus...
...guidelines: Although colon cancer can strike at almost any age, it becomes more common after 50. Symptoms include a change in bowel habits, fatigue, gas pains and anemia. Yet the disease produces few, if any, signs of trouble at its earliest, most curable stages. That's why experts recommend that everyone undergo annual screening, beginning at age 50. If there's a strong family history of the disease (particularly if one or more of your parents, sisters or brothers have had it), you may need to start sooner. A good rule of thumb is to begin getting tested 10 years...