Virtual Colonoscopy Effective for Average Risk People

Two new studies conducted on the colon cancer have come out with conclusions that would certainly provide a sigh of relief to the people who have an average risk of colon cancer.

First study claims that virtual colonoscopy -- or CT colonography – is an effective and convenient way to diagnose precancerous lesions that is, CT colonography can detect 90 percent of precancerous lesions that are larger than 10 millimeters.

First study involved 2,531 people who were above 50, from 15 centers across the United States. These participants had no risk factors for colon cancer and were made to undergo CT colonography twice in one day (second test was done to confirm the findings).

In the tests, nine out of 10 lesions were identified that were 10 millimeters or larger and eight out of 10 lesions were detected that were larger than 6 millimeters but smaller than 10 millimeters.

The second study concluded that no cancer was detected in repeated test undergone 5 years after an initial standard colonoscopy treatment in cancer patients.

Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancer for the American Cancer Society remarked that CT colonography is a reliable way for screening colon cancer.

"It will miss some abnormalities, but even colonoscopy is not a perfect tool. Studies of back-to-back colonoscopy show miss rates of between 2 and 11 percent," he added.

Regarding the second study, Brooks stated that having CT colonography at the interval of every 5 years is a futile effort.

According to cancer society recommendations, people with an average colon cancer risk should have a colonoscopy test after every 10 years. And many physicians regarding this recommendation feel that the specified interval is too long but now the findings of the second study should put to rest all the doubts, said Brooks.

The study's lead author, Dr. Thomas F. Imperiale, a professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine and a research scientist at the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis said they detected no colon cancer after five years of initial colonoscopy. If a person undergoes a high quality colonoscopy, there is absolutely no need for him to get the test done after every 5 years.

In New England Journal of Medicine, the findings of both the studies were published in September 18 issue.