Less invasive test might help save lives
EUGENE, Ore. -- Nearly 50,000 people died of colorectal cancer last year in the United States.
Doctors say one reason is too many people just don't have a colonoscopy. Now there is a new kind of colonoscopy that might take some of the fear out of having the test.
It's called a "virtual" colonoscopy. Unlike a traditional colonoscopy, no sedatives are needed, and no scope is used.
Dr. John Gorman is a diagnostic radiologist who reads screenings for Oregon Imaging Centers in Eugene. He said unlike a traditional optical colonoscopy, the virtual procedure requires no sedatives for the patient and no scope is used.
"We put a small tube in the rectum similar to what they have for a barrium enema," he said. "They blow up a balloon to keep it in place, and that's the only thing that actually goes into the patient."
He reads the scan at a work station where he can view the colon from different angles -- even in 3-D.
"You have to look at every millimeter of the colon essentially all the way through to make sure you've seen everything," he said.
The advantage of the virtual colonoscopy is it's much faster for the patient. They don't have to be sedated. It's minimally invasive, so the risks are a lot lower. And on top of that, the cost: it's less than half that of a traditional colonoscopy.
There are some situations, however, when a patient is better off with the optical colonoscopy. Gorman said it depends on the individual circumstance.
"The virtual colonoscopy is really good for screening," he said. "If you have a really high risk patient that's likely to have polyps that need to be biopsied, it's probably better to go straight to an optical colonoscopy. Typically low-risk patients are going to be normal and the virtual procedure is all they need. So we've looked at them, cleared them and they're good to go for another 5 years."
The American Cancer Society recommends regular screening for both men and women beginning at age 50. In 2009, nearly half of those in the U.S. who died from colorectal cancer were women. Risk factors for colorectal cancer include age, family history, ethnic background and lifestyle choices.
