A study of virtual colonoscopy
I wrote in April about a Greensboro practice that offers CT scanning -- "virtual colonoscopy" -- as an alternative to traditional colonoscopy for detecting colon cancer or polyps that could become cancerous. A front-page wire story earlier this week cited a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that found virtual colonoscopy 90% effective in detecting large adenomas and cancers (those measuring 10mm or more in diameter). That rate is roughly comparable to that of traditional colonoscopy.
The article said Medicare is considering covering the procedure, and where Medicare goes, a lot of private insurers probably will follow. (We don't archive wire stories, but a similar story is here.)
