Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A new study released this week indicates that computer-aided detection (CAD) analysis of virtual colonoscopy exams can help find polyps in asymptomatic patients that even expert readers missed.
The data were presented at this week's International Symposium on Virtual Colonoscopy in Reston, VA, where international editor Eric Barnes was on hand to report for our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community.
University of Wisconsin researchers applied CAD analysis to more than 3,000 studies acquired as part of a large VC screening study. Their results are a sign that CAD can help improve VC's sensitivity in a real-world clinical setting -- learn more by clicking here.
What went wrong for VC in 2009?
In other news in the community, symposium course director Dr. Matthew Barish offered a post-mortem analysis of the U.S. government's decision in May 2009 to withhold Medicare reimbursement for virtual colonoscopy.
In the talk, Dr. Barish spread the blame for the decision, finding fault with radiologists and gastroenterologists too preoccupied with turf protection, and with government regulators who used baffling criteria in justifying their decision. Read more by clicking here.
