3D Virtual CT Colonoscopy (Colon Cancer Screening)
Call Us with Questions: 330-337-6140
Click to See or Read More: Watch the Video Patient Brochure Salem News Article
WKBN and WYTV Interview September 2011 – Peter L. Apicella, M.D., Chairman Department of Medical Imaging, Salem Community Hospital, Salem, Ohio, 330-337-6140
Colon cancer is the third most common kind of cancer beyond lung, breast, and prostate, but it is a leading cause of cancer death because most people will not take the time to be screening. This is unfortunate since colon cancer grows slowly and can be easily detected and cured. The most common symptoms of colon cancer are change in bowel habits, bleeding, and dark stools. Recommended screening for colon cancer begins at age 50 before symptoms appear and continues at 5 or 10 year intervals.
Colonoscopy has become the main diagnostic and treatment method to detect and cure colon cancer. This type of cancer begins as small polyps, like strawberries, growing in the colon which is like long dark twisting tunnel. Traditional colonoscopy involves vigorously cleaning the colon, sedation, and placing a a long tube with a camera on the end into the colon. When polyps are seen, they can be removed. The patient recovers for a few hours afterwards, and can resume activities usually by the next day.
Virtual CT colonoscopy is the newest test to screen for colon cancer. This exam requires the advanced 3D imaging of the latest CT scanners. Many of us have marveled at all the new 3D movies in the theatre, we are fortunate at Salem Community Hospital to have the newest and fastest scanner between Cleveland and Pittsburgh with the highest imaging quality and using the least radiation. As you’ll see, the pictures are amazing.
Virtual CT Colonoscopy uses a less vigorous bowel preparation that traditional colonoscopy requiring a clear liquid diet the day before the exam and rather than drinking several liters of fluid which is commonly used to clean the colon for traditional colonoscopy, only a glass of fizzing medicine is required in the evening. Patients will be able to work the day but should plan to spend some time sometime in the bathroom the evening before. The Virtual Colonoscopy exam is scheduled the next morning and takes only about 10-20 minutes. Because we don’t use sedation, we can perform the exam early in the morning and on weekends to get the patient to work without missing a day which is usually required for traditional colonoscopy because of sedation.
The patient would change into a hospital gown, lie down on the table. A small plastic tube about the size of iv tubing is inserted a few inches into the colon and gas placed into the colon. A special machine controls the flow to prevent cramping. The patient will feel bloated for a few minutes. The new scanner is so fast, it takes just a couple of seconds to scan the abdomen. The technologist will have them roll and repeat the scan. The gas is released and the patient feels normal. The best news is that the exam is done, they can go eat breakfast and go to work. It’s that easy.
This is an image from an actual examination. The advanced computer system takes the thousands of CT imagines and generates stunning views of the abdomen and colon. One of the best parts of this exam is that unlike traditional colonoscopy that just looks inside the colon, we have a CT images of the entire abdomen to pick up conditions like kidney stones, gallstones, aneurysms, and tumors at an early stage before they cause symptoms. We also get a 3D virtual view of the colon. Here is the 3D view where virtual colonoscopy gets its name. Unlike traditional colonoscopy using the tube with a camera on it, the 3D computer creates these images and lets us fly through the images and see inside the patient’s colon. This is what the colon looks like. We’re looking for little polyps or other signs of early cancer. We see a small polyp. We ask the computer to measure it, 6mm is smaller than a pea. This has only a 2% chance of cancer but in 3 to 5 years, this would grow to a cancer and be much more difficult to treat. Only about 1 in 10 patients will have something significant detected, so for 9 out of 10 patients, their risk of dying for colon cancer for the next 5 years is extremely low.
The hardest part of any new medical technology is winning approval of the insurance companies. Fortunately, common carriers in our area have recognized that this
test costs 1/3 as much as traditional colonoscopy and is much better accepted by patients because of the less vigorous bowel preparation, less invasive, no sedation, and convenient scheduling. It also shows much more than traditional colonoscopy because it includes a CT of the abdomen. We hope to win approval for screening from Medicare soon so our seniors can also benefit from the examination. You might be interested that President Obama chose a virtual colonoscopy a few years ago for his colon cancer screening so he didn’t have to miss a day of work.
I am proud to work at Salem Community Hospital in my hometown, and provide the latest technology for our community. We are the only hospital between Cleveland and Pittsburgh providing this service. Patients can have their doctors refer them for the examination at Salem Community Hospital. We actually provide the colon preparation for free and can schedule the exam any day of the week and on weekends for their convenience.