EDITORIALWhile colonoscopy is the gold standard for the evaluation of the colon, research on post-colonoscopy colorectal cancers has increased our awareness of its limitations. In this issue of the Journal , Erichsen et al. provide evidence to suggest that post-colonoscopy colorectal cancers are most likely due to missed cancers at the time of the index colonoscopy, rather than due to aggressive tumor biology. Ultimately, studies demonstrating the shortcomings of colonoscopy are a call to action for the gastroenterology community to develop strategies and new technologies to improve the effectiveness of colonoscopy. Am J Gastroenterol 2013; 108:1341 -1343 doi: 10.1038/ajg.2013 Colorectal cancer screening has seen tremendous evolution over the past several decades. Prior to the mid-to late 1990s, screening colonoscopy was rarely discussed. However, endorsement by multiple professional organizations ( 1 ) followed by the publication of two high-profi le studies demonstrating the feasibility of screening colonoscopy ( 2,3 ) and subsequent Medicare reimbursement led to a rapid rise in its use ( 4 ). But utilization of screening colonoscopy has increased over the past decade ( 5 ) despite the lack of prospective evidence of its eff ectiveness. Rather, support for screening colonoscopy has been largely based upon cost-eff ectiveness models that were predicated upon assumptions that colonoscopy has a sensitivity as high as 95 % for the detection of large polyps and cancers, and may be up to 90 % eff ective at reducing colorectal cancer mortality ( 6 ).However, tandem colonoscopy and computed tomographic colonography studies have taught us that colonoscopy is not as sensitive for neoplasia as we previously believed ( 7,8 ). Results from the National Polyp Study and several retrospective studies suggest that colonoscopy is associated with a 37 -65 % reduction in mortality ( 9 -11 ), much lower than had previously been hypothesized. Moreover, up to 8 % of colorectal cancers are diagnosed within 3 -5 years aft er a colonoscopy ( 12,13 ). At the same time, new noninvasive colorectal cancer screening tests have been introduced, including fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) ( 14 ), computed tomographic colonography and fecal DNA testing ( 15 ). As these tests become increasingly eff ective, we need to carefully consider the role of colonoscopic screening.In order for colonoscopy to attain the position as the preferred screening strategy, we must better understand why interval cancers occur. Th ere are several potential explanations. First, some tumors may be rapidly growing, representing actual new pathology that was not present at the time of the prior colonoscopy ( 16 ). Second, neoplasia (either a cancer or precancerous polyp) may have been missed at the time of colonoscopy ( 17 ). Th ird, the neoplastic lesion may have been identifi ed at the time of colonoscopy, but incompletely resected ( 18 ).While there are a number of studies describing the magnitude of the interval cancer problem, few attempt to distinguish between th...