DENVER -- A fiber-optic camera and scope that goes only halfway up the colon can cut cancer deaths by 43 percent, according to a British study.

The sigmoidoscopy is less invasive and less expensive than a traditional colonoscopy. It does not require sedation and takes about 5 minutes. A traditional colonoscopy is about 20 minutes.

During the "flexi-scope" test polyps are removed, before they become cancerous.

British researchers used the sigmoidoscopy on more than 40,000 people in their 50s. They followed the participants for 11 years and compared their results with 113,000 people who were not screened.

The results were published online Wednesday in the medical journal Lancet.

Those who were screened were a third less likely to develop colon cancer and 43 percent less likely to die of colon cancer.

In Britain, colon cancer screening does not begin until age 60. In the United States, it begins at age 50.

"Because they (researchers) have this control group that wasn't getting screened until age 60, what they found is people who wait until age 60 have a higher chance of dying from colon cancer than those who start the screening at age 50. So now we know it is a good idea to start at age 50," said Dr. Dianne McCallister, the chief medical officer at Porter Adventist Hospital.

British researchers found the flexible sigmoidoscope only needed to be used once in a patient's life.

According to the lead author of the study, people who develop polyps will do so before the age of 60, so potentially cancerous polyps should be discovered at the first test.

However, this only screens one part of the bowel, so ongoing stool blood testing is necessary, according to McCallister.

The American Cancer Society’s recommends people over 50 undergo a colonoscopy every 10 years or a flexi-scope test, double-contrast barium enema or virtual colonoscopy every five years.

"This (study) shows that doing the flexible sigmoidoscope may be equal to doing the colonoscopy, for people who don't have polyps," said McCallister.

The findings "open up a new, interesting possibility," according to McCallister.

When deciding between a colonoscopy and a flexible sigmoidoscope, McCallister said talk with your doctor.

"The recommendations for colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscope depend on your individual circumstances. When to start them depends somewhat on your family history," said McCallister.

For more information on colon cancer screening and the 5-minute test, visit blog.porterhospital.org.