In a radiology industry journal article, participation has more than doubled in colorectal cancer screening exams — including CT colonography — among individuals in their 40s, according to an article published online on December 18, 2019 in Cancer. The growth has occurred since various cancer societies recommended lowering the age to begin screening from 50 to 45 in early 2018.
In a prior study, researchers from the American Cancer Society (ACS) reported that new colorectal cancer cases have grown increasingly more common among adults between the ages of 20 and 54 over the past four decades — findings that motivated the society in May 2018 to recommend lowering the screening age for colorectal cancer to 45.
CT colonography is an option to consider to screen for colon cancer. Capitol Imaging Services recommends discussing colon cancer screening options with your doctor or medical provider to determine whether CT colonography is a viable option for you. Studies have shown that CT colonography has detection rates similar to traditional colonoscopy for cancer and most types of polyps. Some polyps, including small ones, may be less likely to be detected with CT colonography.
Because CT colonography involves imaging the entire abdominal and pelvic area, problems unrelated to colon cancer such as an abnormality in the kidney, liver or pancreas that may or may not be important could potentially be detected. This may lead to additional testing. Virtual CT colonography is performed at our Diagnostic Imaging Services (DIS) Metairie – Veterans Memorial Boulevard center affiliate in Louisiana. A patient preparation regimen is required in order to see the entire colon for evaluation.
Click here to learn more about virtual CT colonography at DIS.
Capitol Imaging Services is a consortium of independent radiology centers serving the southeastern United States. Our radiology practices not only perform the scan such as an MRI or CT, but also performs the radiology review and completes the report sent directly to the medical provider ordering the testing.
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