IStock Photo 1818708 © Stjepan Banovic

Turning fifty is often the occasion for a huge birthday bash. True, you are opening yourself up to getting those dreaded “Over the Hill” themed cards, but having reached a real milestone—a half century of life—you deserve to be feted. The jokes about receding hairlines or advancing waistlines shouldn’t dampen the mood. But one thing might—you have now reached the age when your doctor is likely to advise you to get a colonoscopy.

Unless you have increased risk factors which indicate the need for screening earlier in life, this will be your first. It is often approached with a sense of dread—or put off entirely—but this test is vitally important to prevent the development of colon cancer. 1 in 18.45 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer in their life and 1 in 45.45 will die of colon cancer. Catching cancer early is the best way to beat it and the best way of catching colon cancer is a colonoscopy.

There’s no denying that preparing for a colonoscopy is difficult. A liquid diet is prescribed for one to three days prior to the test. The day before the test, a laxative is taken to clear out any solids remaining in the lower intestine. The actual procedure only furthers the discomfort. A doctor uses a tiny camera to see inside your rectum and colon. It’s no wonder many people put off such an important procedure so long. The truth is they shouldn’t.

Only 1 in 4.76 routine risk colonoscopies have no abnormal findings. While many of the findings are not immediately life threatening (1 in 2.22 find diverticulosis and 1 in 2.92 find hemorrhoids), it is still better to know than not. 1 in 2.67 routine risk colonoscopies find a polyp. These small growths are typically harmless, but most colon cancer starts as a polyp. Usually the doctor will remove any polyps found and biopsy them to check for cancerous cells.

It is also possible for a routine colonoscopy to discover more serious health concerns. 1 in 15.63 reveal a suspected malignant growth (polyp greater than 9mm), and 1 in 250 find a tumor. A colonoscopy can save your life if it discovers the cancer when it is still in an early stage.

Many people, fully aware of the danger, still avoid colonoscopies due to their unpleasant nature. For those people, virtual colonoscopy may be the perfect solution. A virtual colonoscopy is performed using a CT scanner or MRI. Several cross-sectional images of the colon are produced during this procedure, allowing a doctor to assess any abnormalities in the colon. Recent studies have shown virtual colonoscopy to be comparable with standard colonoscopies in detecting malignancies. The relative comfort of a virtual colonoscopy is lost, however, if a doctor determines that a biopsy is necessary to further investigate any abnormalities. In this case a standard colonoscopy must be performed to remove the questionable tissue.

The discomfort associated with a colonoscopy is real and understandable, but so is the risk of not having one. By putting off a colonoscopy, a person may avoid temporary distress but remains in the dark about the health of their colon. Removing polyps can prevent colon cancer from ever developing, saving a person from a potentially life-threatening disease. So despite what you may think, the most important gift you receive on your 50th birthday just might be a colonoscopy.