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The Amazing Journey of Virtual Colonoscopy: Why This Technology is the New Hot Spot for Cancer Screening
With the development of medical technology, virtual colonoscopy (VC) has gradually gained attention in the field of cancer screening in recent years. This technology, which uses CT scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to generate two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of the colon, can not only effectively detect colorectal cancer and polyps, but also discover diseases outside the colon, providing a new perspective for early screening.
The process of a virtual colonoscopy
Before a virtual colonoscopy, patients are usually asked to take a laxative the day before the test to clear the colon of stool. This procedure involves using an enema to clean the rectum and possibly applying a solution called a "fecal marking" solution to ensure that any remaining stool does not affect the test results.
The virtual colonoscopy procedure is extremely fast and is generally completed within ten minutes.
During the examination, the patient lies on his back on an examination table and air is introduced through a thin tube to inflate the colon for a clearer image. As the test progresses, a computer combines the images into a three-dimensional picture that can be viewed on a screen, detecting any abnormalities in the colon.
Advantages of Virtual ColonoscopyVirtual colonoscopy offers several significant benefits to patients. Firstly, this examination procedure does not require the use of an endoscope, so no anesthesia is required and the patient can return to his or her daily life directly after the examination.
Since no anesthesia is required, virtual colonoscopy also reduces the associated medical risks.
Virtual colonoscopy provides clearer images than traditional Barre salt enema X-rays. Statistics show that virtual colonoscopy can detect one unidentified cancer for every 200 screenings, which gives us a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of this technology.
Limitations of virtual colonoscopy
However, virtual colonoscopy is not without its drawbacks. The main limitation is that it cannot perform tissue biopsies or polyp removal, so if abnormalities are found during the examination, traditional colonoscopy is still required. In addition, the image detail of virtual colonoscopy is not as good as that of traditional colonoscopy, so small polyps with a diameter between 2 and 10 mm may not be identified.
Currently, conventional endoscopy is still considered the "gold standard" for colorectal cancer screening.
Alternatives
In addition to virtual colonoscopy, MRI colonoscopy (MRC) is another viable option. Although it does not involve radiation, the sensitivity of the examination is slightly lower than that of a traditional colonoscopy. This gives us an additional consideration when choosing a screening method.
In summary, the emergence of virtual colonoscopy has brought new hope for early screening of colorectal cancer, and its convenience and effectiveness are attracting more and more medical professionals. In the future, we may see this technology play a more important role in the field of digestive system examinations. However, whether it can really replace traditional examination techniques is still worth our consideration.
