Dear AuntMinnie Member,
A growing body of evidence is building that demonstrates virtual colonoscopy's ability to find colon cancer in a screening environment. But can VC also find tumors outside the colon?
A new clinical study says just that. A research group that includes virtual colonoscopy expert Dr. Perry Pickhardt has found that VC can find a significant number of extracolonic cancers in asymptomatic screening subjects, according to a new article we're featuring this week by staff writer Eric Barnes in our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community.
The group took a screening population of 5,000 patients and assessed the number of extracolonic findings that were discovered. Interestingly, the group actually found more cancers outside the colon than inside.
The study's findings could add fuel to the ongoing debate over all types of CT screening studies, not just virtual colonoscopy. Some recent studies have claimed that the additional workup involved in assessing suspicious lesions found through CT screening is not worth it given the number of tumors found.
While Pickhardt's group didn't include a cost-benefit analysis in their study, past research they've conducted has indicated that the cost of follow-up can be kept to a reasonable level by taking what they call a "common sense" approach to working up extracolonic findings.
Get the rest of the story by clicking here, or visit our Virtual Colonoscopy Digital Community at vc.auntminnie.com.
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
