The screen uses CT scans and is performed without anesthesia
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A new study supports the
effectiveness of an innovative form of colonoscopy that relies
on a CT scanner that's sent through a patient's colon. When it
comes to detecting polyps that might become malignant, this so-
called "virtual colonoscopy" is just as effective as the
traditional approach of using a fiber-optic device, explained
study lead Dr. David Kim, assistant professor of radiology at
the University of Wisconsin. The real advantage to the
technology is that "it can do it in a less invasive manner for
less cost and at less risk," he said. According to the American
Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most common
cancer in the United States among both men and women. It's
especially common among people over the age of 50. An estimated
112,000 people in the United States will be diagnosed with the
disease this year, and 52,000 will die. Colonoscopies are
considered essential to preventing the diseas