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Less-intrusive option seen as effective method at spotting cancer, study says
Published on Thursday, Sep 18, 2008
Associated Press
ATLANTA: A long-awaited federal study of an X-ray alternative to the dreaded colonoscopy confirms its effectiveness at spotting most cancers, although it was far from perfect.
Medicare already is considering paying for this cheaper, less-intrusive option that could persuade more people to get screened for colon cancer. And some experts believe the new method may boost the 50 percent screening rate for a cancer that is the country's second biggest killer.
''We're talking about for the first time really screening the population,'' said Dr. Carl Jaffe, an imaging expert at the National Cancer Institute who was not involved in the research.
In the new study, the largest of its kind, the so-called ''virtual colonoscopy'' identified nine out of 10 people who had cancers and large growths seen by regular colonoscopies.
But there were flaws, too. Among them: The radiologists sometimes misread the X-ray, leading them to spot polyps that weren't there. That led to unnecessary follow-up testing.
The X-ray test's real value may be in showing who really needs a regular colonoscopy — it was better at ruling cancer out than it was at detecting it, suggests the report today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Colorectal cancer will claim about 50,000 lives this year. The point of screening, widely recommended at age 50, is to find growths before they turn cancerous.
The gold standard is colonoscopy, in which a long, thin tube equipped with a small video camera is snaked through the large intestine to view the lining. Any growth can be removed during the procedure.
The study focused on CT colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy. It's a super X-ray of the colon that is quicker, cheaper and easier on the patient than traditional colonoscopies.
Colonoscopies cost up to $3,000. The X-ray test costs $300 to $800.
Get the full article here.
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