Study: Virtual Colonoscopy May Be Better After Surgery or Radiation

Memorial-Sloan Kettering researchers report that a virtual colonoscopy may be a better option than a conventional colonoscopy for colorectal cancer patients who have had surgery, radiation or both.

The researchers said that in patients who have a history of abdominopelvic radiation, surgery, or both, conventional colonoscopy may fail to examine the entire colon.

So they compared imaging results of virtual colonoscopy examinations using CT scans on 41 patients who had undergone prior surgery, radiation or both to results for 20 patients who formed the control group.

"High-quality examinations were achieved in patients who had previously undergone radiation, surgery, or both with no clinically significant difference" compared to the controls, the researchers reported in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Other sources: American Journal of Roentgenology