CT colonography. Preface.

摘要

There is widespread consensus among gastroenterologists in the United States that conventional colonoscopy is the best screening modality for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, a large segment of the population at risk for the disease remains unscreened. Although there are many purported reasons for such underutilization fear of invasive testing is among the most commonly offered. Also contributing to the screening shortfall is the fact that there are too few endoscopists in the United States to meet current and projected needs for CRC screening by conventional colonoscopy.One of the most compelling and significant advances in CRC screening of the past decade has been the rapid evolution of computed tomography colonography (CTC). The use of CTC as a primary CRC screening exam, however, has generated controversy relating to its clinical and cost effectiveness, its potential performance as it devolves from academic centers into the community, the cost and risks associated with reporting of extracolonic lesions, the amount of training necessary to read CTC, the qualifications of gastroenterologists to read CTC, the magnitude of the associated radiation risk, and so forth.