Hospital use of virtual colonoscopy is on the rise, study suggests
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 - 05:30
in Health & Medicine
Despite the absence of Medicare coverage, hospital use of computed tomographic colonography (CTC), commonly referred to as virtual colonoscopy, is on the rise, according to a study in the March issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. CTC, a minimally invasive alternative to optical colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening, employs virtual reality technology to produce a 3-D visualization that permits a thorough evaluation of the entire colon and rectum.