http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. In 2009, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) halted reimbursement for so-called "virtual colonoscopy" for routine colon-cancer screening in asymptomatic patients, in part due to concerns over how this procedure, computed tomography colonography (CTC), was being used in the elderly population. In the first study to examine appropriate utilization of the test among asymptomatic Medicare beneficiaries from 2007 to 2008, a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that CTC was used appropriately and may have expanded colorectal cancer screening beyond the population screened with standard ("optical") colonoscopy. The findings, led by Hanna M. Zafar, MD, MHS, an assistant professor of Radiology, are published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-virtual-colonoscopy-appropriately-screening-patients.html Cancer Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:09:03 EST news284371736 A new study by a Rhode Island Hospital researcher has found it's possible to maintain high-quality CT colonography diagnostic images while reducing the radiation dose. This is important as the use of CT colonography, or virtual colonoscopy, becomes more widely used for colorectal cancer screenings. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-high-quality-ct-colonography.html Cancer Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:22:42 EST news282302552 A scan that offers patients a less invasive test, sometimes called a 'virtual colonoscopy', is more effective than the traditional X-ray test of barium enema and should now be considered alongside the 'gold standard' of colonoscopy for investigating patients with a possible bowel cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-ct-scans-alternative-colonoscopy-bowel.html Cancer Thu, 14 Feb 2013 09:40:12 EST news280055155 Availability of CT colonography (CTC), commonly known as virtual colonoscopy, is increasing colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates across military medical facilities. Inclusion of CTC as a Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS)-compliant colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test can potentially raise overall screening rates, according to a study in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-inclusion-ctc-hedis-screening-modality.html Cancer Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:44:36 EST news277058669 (HealthDay)—Prepping for a "virtual colonoscopy" at the Mayo Clinic now only involves swallowing four cleansing tablets, rather than the large amounts of liquid laxative typically required, researchers report. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-prep-colon-screen-pills-liquid.html Cancer Fri, 31 Aug 2012 15:20:02 EST news265644413 Computed tomographic colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy, administered without laxatives is as accurate as conventional colonoscopy in detecting clinically significant, potentially cancerous polyps, according to a study performed jointly at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, the University of California, San Francisco and Massachusetts General Hospital. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-virtual-colonoscopy-laxative-equals-standard.html Cancer Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:40:44 EST news258907238 A CT-scan-based form of virtual colonoscopy that does not require laxative preparation appears to be as effective as standard colonoscopy in identifying the intestinal polyps most likely to become cancerous. In the May 15 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-based research team reports finding that the new technique, which uses computer-aided systems both to virtually cleanse and to analyze the images acquired, was able to identify more than 90 percent of the common polyps called adenomas that were 10 mm or larger. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-laxative-free-ct-colonography-accurate-colonoscopy.html Cancer Mon, 14 May 2012 17:00:01 EST news256233535 The American College of Physicians (ACP) today issued a new guidance statement for colorectal cancer screening. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for men and women in the United States. The guidance statement and a patient summary appear in the March 6 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, published by ACP. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-acp-colorectal-cancer-screening-guidance.html Cancer Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:00:01 EST news250174784 Computerized tomographic (CT) colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy, is comparable to standard colonoscopy in its ability to accurately detect cancer and precancerous polyps in people ages 65 and older, according to a paper published online today in Radiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-ct-colonography-shown-standard-colonoscopy.html Cancer Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:02 EST news249148885 Computed tomography (CT) colonography can be used as a primary screening tool for colorectal cancer in adults over the age of 65, according to a new study published online in the journal Radiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-virtual-colonoscopy-effective-screening-tool.html Other Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:01 EST news249148963