Colonoscopies: No Longer a Pain in the Butt for Some

In an attempt to bring more at-risk patients into the doctor's office, physicians are combining new and old technology to obtain a clear view of the colon.

Spiral computed tomography is being combined with the latest in 3D technology to create clear and precise images of the inside of the colon to scan for colon cancer, pre-cancerous polyps and other bowel abnormalities.

Colonoscopies and sigmoidoscopies have gotten a bad rap over the years not because of efficiency issues, but because they are highly invasive and uncomfortable. Many patients go as far as scheduling an appointment with their gastroenterologist but cancel at the last minute fearing pain from the scope or just not wanting to drink the revolting bowel cleansing fluid before hand.

Pros of the virtual colonoscopy:

- Patients on aspirin therapy won't have to stop using aspirin before the procedure as there is no risk of bleeding.

- Whole bowel cleansing is not required, therefore no clear-liquid diets or buckets of laxatives are needed beforehand. Instead a quick oral or rectal contrast liquid is administered immediately prior to the procedure.

- CT Scans are non-invasive and will appeal to more apprehensive individuals.

- The resulting image is very clear. Polyps, cancers and other abnormalities are clearly visible.

- Good for those who want a full colon check-up but do not have a family history of colon cancer.

Cons of the virtual colonoscopy:

- With the use of endoscopes, doctors can immediately remove polyps or other pre-cancerous lesions for biopsy. Since CT scans are done externally this is not a possibility.

- If something is found, the doctor might have to go back in anyway. Some individuals might not come back right away for the procedure due to inflexible work schedules, fear of the procedure or fear of a bad diagnosis/prognosis.

- If polyps are being monitored exclusively by CT scans instead of traditional one-time excision, a patient can endure extra and potentially harmful levels of radiation.

- Virtual colonoscopies are not standard practice just yet and therefore are not available throughout the Unites States. Some traveling might be involved.

While it might make more sense for high-risk individuals to endure the endoscopic colonoscopy the first time around, far too many have innate fears of the procedure to go through with it. As homophobic as this sounds, some men refuse to undergo this procedure due to an innate stubbornness and the "exit only" attitude, which can cause diseases such as colon cancer to be caught too late in the game.

As virtual colonoscopies become standard practice, more people than ever will catch the early signs of colon cancer before it has a chance to grow and metastasize. Currently, colon cancer is the number one fatal cancer in non-smokers. According to the American Cancer Society, over 56,000 people will die of colon cancer this year.