On February 28, 2010 The White House released a summary of President Obama’s Periodic Physical Exam, noting that the President had colorectal cancer screening with CT colonography (http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/potus_med_exam_feb2010.pdf). CT colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy involves use of a CT scanner and a powerful computer workstation to create three-dimensional images of the colon similar to what a doctor would see viewing an optical colonoscopy.
 

“The chief advantages of CT colonography are that it’s less costly than colonoscopy, it takes much less time, and there is no sedation involved so one can resume normal activity immediately”, said Kyle Miller, MD, a radiologist with Radiology and Nuclear Medicine in Topeka. “By comparison, traditional optical colonoscopy often costs hundreds of dollars more, it can take hours out of a patient’s day, and activities are often limited afterwards due to the sedatives used.”
 

Since 2004, The Imaging Center by Radiology and Nuclear Medicine in Topeka has been the leading CT Colonography provider in the region. According to Dennis Petterson, MD, Radiologist in Charge, “Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, but colon cancer can be treated very effectively or avoided altogether with proper screening. The colorectal cancer-screening rate still compares unfavorably to the 70% to 80% seen in some other cancers. Our hope is that screening rates will continue to improve and lives will be saved as CT colonography becomes more widely accepted and people learn that they can be screened with less disruption to their busy schedules.”
 

The American Cancer Society has reported that screening for colorectal cancer has increased to nearly 55% and the cancer deaths related to this disease have decreased slightly. “The extraordinary progress on colorectal cancer show what can be achieved by coordinated and targeted efforts,” said John Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society, the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, and the American College of Radiology have established joint guidelines for recommended colon cancer screening, which include CT colonography. In light of large scale clinical trials demonstrating that CT colonography is comparable to optical colonoscopy for early detection of cancer and clinically significant polyps, CT colonography is now deemed an acceptable alternative for colorectal cancer screening. The authors recommend screening every 5 years for everyone over age 50, and earlier for people in certain high-risk categories. These colon screening guidelines reflect the endorsement of the American Cancer Society (ACS), American College of Radiology (ACR), and the 3 major gastrointestinal societies, American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (AGSE) and the American College of Gastroenterology.
 

"Patient satisfaction with CT colonography has been extremely positive,” commented Deb Hale, Director of Clinical Operations at The Imaging Center. “People are always surprised by the speed and comfort. Several area physicians have tried the exam for themselves, and they seem to like the fact that they can come in at 8:00 a.m., have the exam, and be back in their office seeing patients at 9:00 a.m."
 

In recognition of colon cancer awareness month The Imaging Center is offering special discounts for CT colonography exams in March. Contact the Imaging Center by Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at 785-234-3451 for details. 
 

 

 

About The Imaging Center by Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
 
The Imaging Center by Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (http://www.radiologynuclearmed.com) has been the leading provider of outpatient diagnostic imaging services in Topeka since 1959, offering advanced imaging technologies including computed tomography ("CT"), general and vascular ultrasound, fluoroscopy and X-ray. The Imaging Center by Radiology and Nuclear Medicine is located at 823 SW Mulvane Street in Topeka.