Dear AuntMinnie Insider,
This week brings evidence that optical colonoscopy has a blind spot on the right side of the colon, in line with previous reports.
The case-controlled study of more than 10,000 patients in Ontario, Canada, found that although conventional colonoscopy did reduce the risk of death from left-sided colorectal cancers, patients with right-sided disease did not live significantly longer following even complete colonoscopy performed in the years before they were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Learn more about the study by clicking here.
This issue's Insider Exclusive looks at the possibility of undersampling to reduce radiation dose in virtual colonoscopy exams. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin in Madison found they could theoretically reduce dose at least fourfold before image quality became degraded. Click here to find out how Matthew Christensen and his team did it.
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco are starting a pilot project to combine virtual colonoscopy screening with bone mineral density assessment. Putting the two tests together makes sense because osteoporosis is a common and costly condition in populations at screening age for colorectal cancer, the researchers said.
Same-day bowel preparation using only iodinated tagging agents is feasible, according to a new study from Italy. But not all tagging regimens are created equal. To find out what worked best at the University of Rome's "La Sapienza" campus, click here.
On the political front, the recent Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee meeting in Baltimore wasn't exactly a slam dunk for VC proponents, according to radiologists' reports. Not surprisingly, some traditional advocates of optical colonoscopy gave VC low marks. As a result, and pending a final decision in February, VC's near-term future as a covered exam under Medicare is in doubt.
But there are signs that private insurers and states aren't waiting around for Medicare's turf squabbles to play out. Last month, the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association Technology Evaluation Center formally approved virtual colonoscopy as a screening modality, based on the strength of the National CT Colonography Trial and the American Cancer Society's endorsement of VC earlier this year. Could private payors end up taking the lead on VC screening reimbursement?
For that matter, the state of Maryland recently mandated that VC be included as a covered exam in most new health insurance policies issued in the state.
Stay tuned to your Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community to see how it all goes down. And happy holidays from all of us at AuntMinnie.com.
