Colonoscopies do save people's lives, according to a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The study, led by Dr. Sidney Winawer, a gastroenterologist as Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, provides strong evidence that colonoscopy saves lives.

Researchers have traced 2,602 patients who underwent the screening test.

Over 23 years of follow-up, 12 of these patients died, amounting to a 53 percent lower death rate associated with colonoscopy.

The benefits of colonoscopy have long been known, but previous studies had established only that the test reduced the incidence of colon cancers.

By spotting and removing precancerous growths that could develop into tumors, colonoscopy helps stop colon cancer from developing.

Another key benefit of colonoscopy, experts say, is that it combines screening with treatment: the test involves a thin tube equipped with a camera and a device that can snip off polyps, so doctors can remove suspicious growths during the test.

(Agencies)