Virtual Colonoscopies Show Value For Some Patients, But Polyps Will Be Missed

The value of CT colonography, also called virtual colonoscopy, is under debate as Medicare considers halting coverage of these procedures as a diagnostic method for detecting colorectal cancer and precancerous growths. Research findings from meta-analyses performed by ECRI Institute suggest that CT colonography appears most promising for screening asymptomatic, average-risk patients; however, it will miss some important polyps and cancer that would have been detected by colonoscopy.

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Filed under: Colorectal Cancer on March 13th, 2009