Virtual Colonoscopy

Virtual Colonoscopy

Moserata Santana is not worried about colon cancer in spite of the fact that the disease killed her father and brother. She’s getting a screening colonoscopy, and has faith that the colonoscopy procedure will detect anything unusual, before it becomes life threatening.

During the colonoscopy, Moserata will be placed under sedation while a doctor puts a scope all the way up into the colon to look for any cancers or precancerous polyps. But, in spite of the fact this is now the way most colonoscopies are done, it’s possible that this traditional colonoscopy will soon take a back seat to another procedure called virtual colonoscopy. Virtual colonoscopy uses a cat scan, which makes dramatic 3-D images of the colon. It’s an x-ray procedure done with no real scope. "At a centimeter or so you’re as good as optical colonoscopy in detecting polyps,”" says Dr. Zvi Lefkovitz of Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York.

A study published back in December in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that virtual colonoscopy is more than 90% accurate in detecting polyps large enough to be of concern. However, new research published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association says that the accuracy of virtual colonoscopy is limited to only about 55%. Dr. K. Iswara, chief of gastroenterology at Maimonedes Medical Center, says, "As far as I’m concerned, we need more studies before we can adopt virtual colonoscopy as a viable alternative to conventional colonoscopy. One key difference between the two studies was the technology used."

The new study did not focus on the latest generation of software, which might explain why the colonoscopies missed many colon cancers. This can be resolved by ensuring that the latest imaging technology is used, and that physicians are trained in interpreting the results of a virtual colonoscopy. "“I believe that virtual colonoscopy has tremendous promise as this technology evolves. Further study is warranted before Medicare should approve this",” says Dr. Lefkovitz.

If you decide to get a virtual colonoscopy rather than a traditional one, be sure to go to a major center that has the latest in 3-dimensional imaging. The best results of a virtual colonoscopy are obtained when the patient drinks a barium contrast first, so check with the center whether that is a part of their procedure. Be advised that insurance does not yet cover the cost of virtual colonoscopy, which is at present around $600. Virtual colonoscopy is best suited to individuals who can afford to pay the fee, and who are certain that they do not want a standard colonoscopy.

For more information on colon cancer and colonoscopy, click here