Despite Advances in the Accuracy of CT Colonography in Detecting Polyps, Digestive Health Experts Urge Patients to Consider Risks and...(ptability Patient acceptance is anoth...),Health

Patient acceptance is another key factor in evaluating the promise of a new technology. ACG notes that the CTC technology requires the same bowel preparation as complete colonoscopy. There is also evidence that due to the insertion of a tube in the rectum and insufflation of the abdomen with air or gas, the patients, who are not sedated and awake, tend to feel discomfort.

"It is important for patients to understand that CT colonography does not at present represent a painless or risk-free procedure, nor does it eliminate the need for bowel cleansing which patients report as a barrier to screening," explained Dr. Foxx-Orenstein.

Moreover, the American Cancer Society recently issued a Multi-Society Task Force Guideline on Colorectal Cancer which stated a preference for tests which prevent colorectal cancer. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, colonoscopy remains the preferred strategy for colorectal cancer screening and prevention. Three studies have shown that colonoscopy prevents about 80 percent of colorectal cancers from developing by removing pre-cancerous polyps.

"The public should recognize that there is no evidence that any radiographic test, including CT colonography, prevents the development of colorectal cancer," said Dr. Foxx-Orenstein.