The best tool against colorectal cancer is prevention. With screening—the process of detecting cancer or precancerous growths in the colon or rectum (known as polyps)—colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable of all cancers.

And guess what? Getting a colonoscopy isn’t as scary as you thought.

Here, Aaron Benson, MD, Division Chair, Gastroenterology, Northwest Community Healthcare, part of NorthShore, and Kavita Singh, MD, Division Head, Gastroenterology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, answer the questions they get the most about colonoscopies.

Are Colonoscopies Painful?

More Questions Answered:
Are Colonoscopies Dangerous?
Is the Prep Hard?
Do I Have to Miss a Lot of Work?
Do I Need One If I Have No Family History?