Time to catch up on some colorectal cancer news that we might have missed.

In Nutshell News: Virtual colonoscopy works just as well for over 65′s, over-the-counter and prescription stomach acid is connected to c. difficile diarrhea, and the recession cut into colorectal cancer screening among people with health insurance. Read the rest of this entry »

The November issue of American Journal of Roentgenology described a program in which specially trained technicians performed computed tomography (virtual) CT colonoscopies in two Navajo Nation health centers and transmitted the tests for interpretation by radiologists hundreds of miles away at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Centers.

A retrospective review of 320 patients found that more than 90% of the tests showed adequate patient preparation and technical performance of the procedure.  Researchers did report a relatively high (54%) rate of false-positives, but “If there was any doubt, I called it positive and recommended a colonoscopy,” said Dr. Arthur Friedman, the lead radiologist for the study.

The study authors acknowledged that a better study would be a randomized trial comparing annual FOBT screening, optical and CT colonoscopy but, they noted, many residents in these and other rural areas live far from post offices or in homes lacking adequate plumbing, so compliance with fecal screening tests is poor, and there are not medical personnel to perform optical colonoscopies or sigmoidoscopies.

Source: Medscape, Oct. 29, 2010

Looking at more than 10,000 screening CT colonography or virtual colonoscopy exams, doctors found cancers in 1 in every 200 patients, but more often those cancers were not colorectal cancer, but unsuspected cancer found outside the colon.

The tests found 22 colorectal cancers (1 in every 500 patients examined) and 36 other cancers (1 in every 300 patients.)  More than half were found at an early stage I.  After an average follow-up time of 30 months, only 3 patients had died of cancer.

Renal cell cancer was the most frequent extracolonic cancer, discovered in 11 patients who didn’t have symptoms.  Eight lung cancers were also found along with six cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma and eleven cancers in other sites.  More specific information about patients, their cancers, and their survival is part of the report in Radiology. Read the rest of this entry »

This morning, President Barack Obama completed his first routine periodic physical examination as President at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.  The President’s exam included a colorectal cancer screening test.  Dr. Jeff Kuhlman, a Navy captain and Physician to the President, Chief White House Physician and Director of the White House Medical Unit examined the President.  Dr. Kuhlman, issued the following report following the exam:

“The President completed all age-appropriate screening tests, to include colorectal cancer screening.  A CT-colonography was performed with normal results.  Follow-up colorectal cancer screening is recommended in 5 years for routine colon cancer screening.”

Screening is just one important way to prevent colorectal cancer.  Take a few minutes to read more about preventing colorectal cancer.

CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) found more than twice the rate of large polyps or cancer in patients 65 and older compared to everyone being screened for colorectal cancer using the radiology-based test.

About one in six older patients was referred for an optical colonoscopy based on findings from the scans.

There were no major complications including colon perforations or bleeding, from either the CT procedure or the follow-up colonoscopy. Read the rest of this entry »