Colonoscopies may prove beneficial for men with prostate cancer, according to findings presented at the annual American College of Gastroenterology Meeting.

This is because patients who suffer from this disease are at an increased risk of adenomas, or polyps that tend to develop rapidly and can lead to prostate cancer.

During a recent study, researchers conducted colonoscopy procedures on a total of 2,011 men, and examined each individual’s medical records for history of polyps or cancer. Of the group, 188 men had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and the remaining served as a control group.

The team discovered that adenomas and abnormal polyp growth were prominently found among cancer patients.

In fact, 48 percent of the prostate cancer group had adenomas, while approximately 31 percent of the control group had similar growths. Furthermore, about 16 percent of the cancer group had been diagnosed with advanced adenomas compared to 10 percent of the healthy patients.

The team concluded that upcoming research should focus on whether prostate cancer patients aged 50 years and older could benefit from undergoing earlier colonoscopy procedures.

In 2006, cancer was the second leading cause of death among men in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.