Researchers: Virtual Colonoscopy May Be Equally Effective

Virtual colonoscopy may be as effective at screening for colon cancer as standard invasive colonoscopy, according to researchers at the University of California at San Francisco.

The virtual colonoscopy uses a CT scan to screen for pre-cancerous polyps and is reportedly faster, safer, and potentially more pleasant than the traditional colonoscopy procedure which involves snaking a long tube-shaped camera through the length of the colon.

"Since this technique requires no anesthesia, has no risk of complications from perforation or bleeding, and may be better tolerated by patients, we hope that it will increase the number of people willing to come in for screening," said Dr. Judy Yee, USCF assistant professor of radiology and lead author of the study.

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer in the U.S. but less than 40 percent of adults who are eligible for screening actually get it, said Yee.

According to the study published in the journal Radiology, virtual colonoscopy identified every patient with clinically significant polyps. Once a potentially problematic polyp is identified by virtual colonoscopy, the patient then undergoes a standard colonoscopy in order to obtain a biopsy of the lesion.

Although virtual colonoscopy takes only a minute or so compared to the 30 minutes to one hour for the traditional colonoscopy, analyzing the data is still quite time consuming, according to Yee.

"Until we have more advanced software that decreases the analysis time from 30 minutes to about 10 minutes, it's unlikely that HMO's and other health care payors will be willing to add this as a covered expense," said Yee.

Yee reported that she is involved in further studies with Duke University on a three-way comparison of virtual colonoscopy with barium enema and traditional colonoscopy, funded by the National Institutes on Health.

Other sources: Radiology, University of California at San Francisco