Last month, a new study of a seemingly more user-friendly approach to colon cancer screening generated quite a buzz.

“Scans provide alternative to colonoscopies in spotting cancer,” read one headline. “Virtual colonoscopies ready for prime time” said another.

For anyone who could think of a thousand things they’d rather be doing than undergoing a traditional colonoscopy, it sounded like wonderful news. A federal study of CT colonography or “virtual colonoscopy” determined that the X-ray procedure was effective at detecting large cancers and precancerous growths in people with an average risk of colon cancer.

No general anesthesia? No need to take a day off from work? No problem! Those were no doubt the thoughts of many patients who are skittish about traditional colonoscopies – and the bowel preparation that accompanies them. Some experts expressed hopes that this vote of confidence in an alternative screening method which is less invasive and cumbersome would encourage more people to be checked for colon cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

Now, I am all for appropriate colon screening. But as a practicing physician for more than 30 years, I have strong feelings against this procedure, and here’s why:

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As a physician with many years in private practice, I’ve always valued tools that helped me care for my patients on an ongoing basis. Everyone’s health is prone to vary over time, so there is definite benefit to new science that highlights change.

That’s why a key aspect of the Navigenics genetic health service – ongoing updates – is so important. When Navigenics analyzes a person’s DNA, the findings don’t stop with that first genetic report. As new genetic research findings pass our rigorous scientific scrutiny, we bring our members additional information about their current conditions and new ones.

This process means that our members’ DNA results stay current with the latest and best genetic science.

This week, we’ve started providing our members their personal genetic insights into two additional conditions:

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Medical experts have long been aware that vitamin D has its benefits.  Known to prevent rickets and osteoporosis, it is added to the bulk of the U.S. milk supply to help the public maintain healthy bones.

An abundance of new research suggests that the valuable vitamin is much more important than once thought – and that many of us are not getting enough of it.

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Since its inception, Navigenics has been driven by the vision of improving health outcomes. The feedback from our members is exciting. Over the last few months we have heard from those discovering colon cancer risk and then finding polyps, discovering glaucoma risk and then discovering elevated eye pressure, discovering celiac disease risk and then getting a positive diagnosis, and many others. 

We are at the very early stages of the new era of predictive genomics and personalized medicine.  There are many voices, there is much debate and there is great dialogue.  As part of furthering that discussion, today we are pleased to announce the launch of our official company blog, The Navigator. Through this blog, we hope to add our voices more regularly to the dialogue on genes and health. We also want to create the opportunity to get more of your feedback and add your voices to the discussion.

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