The studies come in fast and furious: Virtual colonoscopy is the next big thing in preventive medicine. Virtual colonoscopy isn't ready for prime time. Confused? So are we.
Well, not really. This week's study in the Journal of the American Medical Association on virtual colonoscopy’s effectiveness -- or lack of same -- was, if anything, predictable. A research team led by a gastroenterologist found that, surprisingly enough, virtual colonoscopy conducted by inexperienced radiologists using old equipment and outdated techniques did not compare to the gold standard of conventional colonoscopy.
Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The studies come in fast and furious: Virtual colonoscopy is the next big thing in preventive medicine. Virtual colonoscopy isn't ready for prime time. Confused? So are we.
Well, not really. This week's study in the Journal of the American Medical Association on virtual colonoscopy’s effectiveness -- or lack of same -- was, if anything, predictable. A research team led by a gastroenterologist found that, surprisingly enough, virtual colonoscopy conducted by inexperienced radiologists using old equipment and outdated techniques did not compare to the gold standard of conventional colonoscopy.
The study's methods were taken apart by leading virtual colonoscopy providers in an article by staff writer Eric Barnes that we're featuring in our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community.
While it may be easy for radiologists to spot the study's flaws, the general public isn't so fortunate. The study reverberated through the consumer press, with headlines trumpeting how virtual colonoscopy supposedly isn't ready for routine use in the community -- this just five months after a larger and newer radiologist-led study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that VC beat conventional colonoscopy at its own game.
What's the imaging community to do? Fight fire with fire, and respond with equally biased research that puts conventional colonoscopy at a disadvantage? Tempting though it may be, this is hardly an acceptable solution.
Instead, radiology should stick to its guns, and continue producing high-quality studies that paint a true portrait of virtual colonoscopy's potential. And if such a study happens to produce less-than-stellar results compared with conventional colonoscopy, it should be viewed as an opportunity to refine VC techniques to improve its sensitivity.
While studies like this week's JAMA article may create short-term confusion among the public, ultimately they will be seen as aberrations if the weight of scientific evidence continues to demonstrate the value of virtual colonoscopy.
To view our coverage of this issue, visit our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community, at vc.auntminnie.com/.
