A new study published in Radiology indicates that virtual colonoscopy is similar in effectiveness to standard colonoscopy for people older than 65 years.
In 2008, a Mayo Clinic study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that virtual colonoscopy, known more formally as computerized tomographic CT colonography (CTC), is as good as standard colonoscopy. However, the test was not specifically researched in older patients.
In the new study, data from the 2008 Mayo Clinic study was used to determine the effectiveness of CTC in patients older than age 65 compared with those aged 50 to 65 years.
Researchers determined no statistically significant difference in CTC effectiveness between the 2 patient groups. Detection of intermediate (6-9 mm) and large (greater than 1 cm) polyps using virtual colonoscopy was established as highly accurate.
Coauthor of the study, C. Daniel Johnson, MD, Chair of the Department of Radiology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, hopes this information further validates virtual colonoscopy as a colorectal cancer screening option.
Virtual colonoscopies may be beneficial for:
“The key isn’t so much the modality, the key is getting screened,” Johnson says. “We hope that this additional, less-invasive option for cancer screening will lead more people to get screened and will ultimately result in fewer deaths from colorectal cancer.”
Source: Mayo Clinic.
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