At the age of 50 it is recommended that every person, men and women alike, undergo screening for colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the number two cause of cancer related death in the US and the gold standard for detection is the colonoscopy.
A colonoscopy is a procedure that involves passing a small camera up through the anus into the large intestine. The camera takes pictures of the lining of the colon and looks for the presence of polyps, benign, pre-cancerous growths, and cancer. If the technician observes any abnormalities of the colon they are able to take a sample of the tissue, otherwise known as a biopsy.
Many people do not have a colonoscopy because of fear or embarrassment about the procedure. But the fact of the matter is it could be lifesaving. Colorectal cancer when caught early is easily treated, but if not detected it can spread to other parts of the body and become deadly. Also, removal of polyps, which are pre-cancerous, can prevent the development of colorectal cancer and avoid chemotherapy and more invasive surgeries.
Recently a new procedure was developed to provide an option for those not wishing to undergo the standard colonoscopy procedure. It is a non-invasive CT colonography that uses computer images obtained via x-ray to find the presence of polyps or cancerous growths. Because the procedure was so new, there were limited studies on the efficacy of the CT colonography and even fewer comparing its results to the standard colonoscopy.
But this October a study comparing the two procedures was completed at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and published in the journal Radiology.
The study had more than 1,000 participants. Each person underwent the CT colonography. Those individuals who had a positive finding were then offered the standard colonoscopy.
A total of 10 percent or about 100 participants had positive findings from the CT colonography, of which 71 had a repeat colonoscopy.
Of those who had the second procedure, 65 had the same findings. The researchers were satisfied with the results and feel it is a viable alternative to those not wanting the traditional colonoscopy.
One drawback to the CT colonography is the inability to remove polyps or take a biopsy, which can be done with the traditional colonoscopy.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on November 3, 2006 01:24 PM
