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Cheaper, Easier Virtual Colonoscopy Could Boost Detection
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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 However, Pickhardt noted that the high-tech procedure is not yet widely available.
"It's definitely ready for primetime, but people don't have it everywhere yet," he said. "The technology is getting better and better, and I can tell you that it will continue to improve. But most radiology practices aren't going to invest in the necessary software, because insurances aren't generally paying for it yet."
The ACS's director of cancer screening, Robert Smith, said his organization is taking a wait-and-see approach toward virtual colonoscopy. However, he believes the technology holds great promise.
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"No organization recommends a virtual colonoscopy at this point in time, because the procedure is still regarded as experimental," he remarked. "It's still a work in progress. But I will say that as the evidence is accumulating, it appears as if it is meeting performance characteristics that -- if done well-- would make it an additional alternative to the currently recommended screening tests."
"Meanwhile," he added, "as always, the best screening for colon cancer is the one that you're willing to get, and the one that is done well."
More information
For more about colorectal cancer screening options, visit the American Cancer Society.
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Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 4/23/2007
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SOURCES: Perry J. Pickhardt, M.D., radiologist and associate professor, school of medicine and public health, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Robert Smith, Ph.D., director of cancer screening, American Cancer Society, Atlanta; June 1, 2007, Cancer
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