There are many measures that individuals can take to keep their colon healthy. Taking such as fiber may help protect the organ from infection, and now a new study has suggested there could be a specific treatment to help prevent colon cancer.

According to findings published in the journal of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, patients who have a colonoscopy performed by gastroenterologists are less likely to develop colorectal cancer.

Additionally, it was found that individuals who had the procedure done at a hospital by a physician other than a gastroenterologist significantly increase their risk for developing the potentially life-threatening disease.

Researchers believe the phenomenon is because of the specific training that specialists receive that can teach them to perform the procedure more successfully.

“We found that among those physicians who perform colonoscopy in the hospital setting, gastroenterologists are more proficient at colonoscopy than other physicians, including general surgeons,” said lead author Linda Rabeneck, M.D. “This may reflect the considerable formal training in endoscopy that forms part of gastroenterology core training requirements in the U.S. and Canada.”