5-minute colon cancer test could save thousands of lives – USATODAY.com.

LONDON (AP) — A five-minute colon cancer test could reduce the number of deaths from the disease by about 40%, a new study says.

British researchers followed more than 170,000 people for about 11 years. Of those, more than 40,000 had a “flexi-scope” test, an exam that removes polyps, small growths that could become cancerous.

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The test involves having a pen-sized tube inserted into the colon so doctors can identify and remove small polyps. Researchers used the test on people in their 50s. In the U.K., government-funded colon cancer screening doesn’t start until age 60.