Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the United States.

Colorectal cancer affects nearly 160,000 Americans each year, causing approximately 62,070 deaths annually. Although several studies have shown that screening asymptomatic people will detect cancers at earlier stages and will lead to increased survival rates, only about 25-30% of the eligible population undergoes these screening exams, which include a barium enema, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and a traditional colonoscopy. Many patients avoid these screening tests because of their unpleasant nature.

With Virtual CT Colonoscopy, the discomfort, risk of complications such as bowel perforation and damage to organs, as well as the need for sedation and recovery are no longer a concern. Virtual Colonoscopy is a better tolerated, accurate, minimally invasive advanced CT technique used to detect small pre-cancerous polyps and early cancers. Results from a large multi-center trial concluded that virtual colonoscopy is comparable to traditional colonoscopy in accurate detection of these lesions. The American Cancer Society added Virtual CT colonoscopy to its list of recommended colon cancer screening and prevention tests in March 2008. According to those guidelines, men and women at average risk for developing colorectal cancer should start screening at age 50. For high-risk patients, such as those with a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or polyps, a history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, or a known family history of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes a traditional colonoscopy remains the recommended screening study.

Virtual CT colonoscopy is also ideal for those patients that have a medical contraindication for sedation, are undergoing blood thinning therapy, or have a history of unsuccessful or incomplete conventional colonoscopy. The examination requires colon preparation the day before. On the day of the exam, a small catheter is inserted into the rectum and the colon is insufflated with air. A CT scan is performed with the patient on their stomach and back. The images are then reconstructed into a 3-D replica of the colon similar to what is seen during a traditional colonoscopy. Our studies are interpreted by board-certified, fellowship-trained radiologists who have specialized training in Virtual CT colonoscopy.

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