Dear AuntMinnie Insider,
Today's virtual colonoscopy exam is more consistent and accurate than what was being produced even a few years ago -- the result of myriad innovations applied to prep, insufflation, software, and the routine use of thinner collimation.
Not to be outdone, optical colonoscopy is benefiting from a range of high-tech tools that reduce the likelihood of missing an important lesion. From dye sprayed on suspicious areas of the mucosa to zoom endoscopy that magnifies it, gastroenterologists who are willing to use the new tools are likely to find better results.
One thing that may not be improving is colonoscopy's completion rate. In a wide-ranging talk on new developments in colon cancer screening, Dr. Patrick Rogalla from Berlin's Charite Hospital touched on the intriguing results of one of the largest colonoscopy trials to date -- just released in March.
The dismal completion rate for optical colonoscopy in Germany appears to ensure a robust role for virtual colonoscopy screening, Rogalla said at the 2007 European Congress of Radiology (ECR) in Vienna. Get the rest of the story in our Insider Exclusive article.
Also from ECR, improvements in CAD have led to a higher detection rate and fewer false positives, according to a report from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. In Ireland, radiologists are using prepless VC to look for frank cancers and bowel obstructions in the frail and elderly, according to another study presented in Vienna.
Stay tuned to the Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community for the latest news in colon cancer screening, exams, and treatments.
