CT colonography even safer than previously reported, says studyMay 02, 2006The safety profile for CT colonography (CTC) is extremely favorable, particularly for the purposes of screening patients with no symptoms and when distending the colon using an automated carbon dioxide technique, a finding that goes against the higher complication rates for CTC reported by other groups, according to a new study. For this study, researchers analyzed 21,923 CTC procedures, including both diagnostic and screening procedures. Colonic distention was achieved by manual room air insufflation in 60% of cases and by automated carbon dioxide delivery in 40%. No perforations were recorded in patients undergoing screening CTC or with those who underwent the automated carbon dioxide delivery technique. Perforations were recorded in only two patients undergoing diagnostic CTC, and manual room air insufflation was employed in both cases. Only one of the two needed treatment for the perforation, and the one who was treated was already symptomatic prior to CTC due to annular sigmoid carcinoma. Overall, the researchers found that the complication rate for this procedure was 0.018%, or 4 out of 21,923 procedures. According to the researchers, automated carbon dioxide delivery is much simpler and safer for the CT technologist to employ than manual room air insufflation, which was the method of distention used in the previous studies that reported a higher complication rate due to perforations. "The automated nature of carbon dioxide delivery removes the guesswork and patient coaching necessary with manual distention. In addition, this automated approach with low-pressure carbon dioxide provides improved distention and reduced post-procedure discomfort," said Perry J. Pickhardt, MD, of the University of Wisconsin Medical School and lead author of the study. "Our results provide reassurance to patients that this minimally invasive examination is a very safe colorectal screening tool. 'Primum non nocere' (first do no harm) is particularly applicable to the screening of asymptomatic adults, which raises some important issues for screening with invasive colonoscopy," said Dr. Pickhardt. The full results of the study will be presented on May 2, 2006 during the American Roentgen Ray Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver, BC. American Roentgen Ray Society |
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| Related CT Colonography Current Events and CT Colonography News Articles Residents play key role in CT colonography awareness and promoting the radiology specialty Residents can serve a vital role in educating Congress, the medical community, and the general public regarding the efficacy of cutting-edge technologies like CT colonography (CTC) as well as the importance of radiologists' training and education and the role that radiologists serve in the provision of quality health care. Improved DNA stool test could detect digestive cancers in multiple organs Mayo Clinic researchers have demonstrated that a noninvasive screening test can detect not only colorectal cancer but also the common cancers above the colon -- including pancreas, stomach, biliary and esophageal cancers. The clinical availability of CT colonography Computed tomographic (CT) colonography allows the visualization of extracolonic organs, thereby permitting the detection of potentially significant pathologies beyond the colon. CT colonography offers 1-stop screening for cancer and osteoporosis New research reveals that computed tomography (CT) colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy, has the potential to screen for two diseases at once-colorectal cancer and osteoporosis, both of which commonly affect adults over age 50. Surgical Removal of Small Colon Polyps is Costly and Unnecessary Polypectomy (the surgical removal of polyps by colonoscopy) of small polyps found during CT colonography is costly and unnecessary according to a study performed at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, WI. Is CT-colonoscopy a valuable tool to detect colorectal cancer? CTC (virtual colonoscopy) is a thin slice CT scan of the abdomen after adequate bowel preparation and colon insufflation in which data are reconstructed providing axial, multiplanar, and endoluminal views, in order to visualize internal colonic wall. Brown-Assisted Trial Finds New Colorectal Screening Procedure Is Accurate and Less Invasive More patients stand to benefit from a comprehensive, less invasive method to accurately detect colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps, a multicenter study involving Brown University and institutions nationwide has found. AGA Institute statement: Data support CT colonography as viable colorectal cancer screening option Death from colorectal cancer is highly preventable with effective screening and early detection. Many screening options are available, each with advantages and disadvantages, but half of eligible patients still do not participate in colorectal cancer screening. ASGE encourages patients to speak to their doctor about colorectal cancer screening options Results of the National CT Colonography Trial, published in the September 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, show improvements in the technology's ability to diagnose intermediate- to large-sized polyps in the colon, but this method of testing is not as effective in diagnosing small polyps Health groups issue updated colorectal cancer screening guidelines The American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology, and the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer (a group that comprises representatives from the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, and American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) have released the first-ever joint consensus guidelines for colorectal cancer screening. More CT Colonography Current Events and CT Colonography News Articles |
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