Live long and well!” is the theme of his life.

So, we will try many things regarding cutting-edge medical care.

This time, through a friend’s introduction, I had Dr. Shingo Matsudaira of the Digestive Disease Center at Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital perform both the world’s most advanced gastroscopy and colonoscopy examinations at the same time. The results were all fine! I would like to explain the greatness of this hospital.

Endoscopes are based on the “camera” principle, so the larger the lens, the better the image resolution and the better the detection of cancer.

Especially for gastroscopy, there are nasal endoscopes, but the quality of images differs between nasal endoscopes of around 6 mm and oral endoscopes of around 10 mm. For early detection of cancer, the examination was conducted using a thicker 10mm endoscope.

Therefore, sedatives analgesics (not general anesthetics, but sedatives and analgesics as a drug classification) were used. All tests were done with a level of sedation that I have no recollection of at all.

The hospital is a pioneer in the field of colonoscopy, and under the banner of Dr. Shin’ei Kudo’s “Don’t let people die from colorectal cancer! a pioneer in colonoscopy, and has attracted comrades from several countries around the world to learn digestive endoscopy under the banner of “Don’t die of colorectal cancer!

(1) Early detection by AI

Introducing world-class technology.

Here, they are working with Olympus (Endo Brain Eye) to try to introduce AI into colonoscopy.

In terms of technology, in collaboration with Nagoya University, a deep-learning program has been created to store images of colonoscopies performed at the hospital over the past several years, and during the actual endoscopy, the system detects changes in the color and shape of the colon mucosa and alerts the patient. The real-time alerts enable on-the-spot endoscopic resection of polyps and cancers as soon as they are detected.

The sensitivity and specificity of AI (Endo Brain Eye) for finding lesions are comparable to those of physicians with 10 years of experience in the field. For qualitative diagnosis of found lesions, another software, EndoBrain, is used. The polyp can be determined in about 0.5 seconds whether it is an advanced cancer, an early-stage cancer, or a benign lesion.

EndoBrain and Endo BrainEye are not yet covered by health insurance.

(2) Treatment by a skilled physician

Early-stage colorectal cancer, which until about the 20th century was mainly treated by surgery, is now known to be curable by endoscopic treatment if properly diagnosed, which may reduce the burden of unnecessary surgery and anesthesia on the patient and challenge the limits of endoscopic treatment, which has fewer complications and preserves function. (The “skill” of the endoscopist is a major factor.)

First of all, it is time-consuming and painful unless one is an expert in the art of finding abnormalities/illnesses in handling endoscopes.

Anyone can find advanced colorectal cancer, but finding an early stage cancer/precancerous lesion of a few millimeters can make or break a patient’s subsequent life.

However, the large intestine may have insufficient field of view or structural folds depending on the effect of the bowel cleanser (an unpleasant tasting liquid taken before the examination).

It is sometimes difficult to find polyps that are large, deep, and hidden behind the polyp.

The intestinal tract undergoes peristalsis at regular intervals, which makes it even more difficult to detect if the examination takes a long time, causing abdominal fullness and abdominal pain.

…So, these two factors were the highest peak of the test and resulted in no immediate risk of stomach or colon cancer.

As a postscript, the colonoscope is at a higher level and can see the exit of the anus from the inside. This is the area where colorectal cancer is most likely to form and was missed by the lack of visibility behind the lens in the old camera.

It is necessary for a long life to take action when one is not yet sick, rather than when one becomes sick and goes to a hospital.