Dear AuntMinnie Insider,
No one can say what the future of colon cancer screening holds, but the results of the National CT Colonography Trial, being conducted under the aegis of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN), are sure to have an effect over the next several years.
Investigators are hopeful that respectable results will cement VC's place as a noninvasive tool for screening the general population, and lead to U.S. funding for the exam. If things don't pan out, reimbursement could once again be delayed. You'll find one radiologist's predictions in our Insider Exclusive story.
Indications are that gastroenterologists wouldn't mind a little help with the huge screening workload that an aging population is imposing on the U.S. healthcare system. Today's Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community features a prominent researcher who has worked with radiologists, as well as his colleagues in gastroenterology, to create a more inclusive screening future.
In a recent talk in San Francisco, Dr. David Lieberman from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland took on the subject of optical colonoscopy and mortality, weighing in on the effects of compliance, costs, and adverse events in researchers' efforts to find out if the exam really helps people live longer.
