Most patients prefer virtual colonoscopy over conventional optical colonoscopy for colon cancer screening, a finding that could impact screening compliance rates if VC is more widely adopted, according to a new study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Researchers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, conducted a survey of 250 patients who received screening virtual colonoscopy (also known as CT colonography, CTC) at the National Naval Medical Center, also in Bethesda. They asked patients their reasons for choosing VC instead of colonoscopy, and if they received both procedures, which one they preferred.
Of the 57 patients who received both procedures, 95% preferred the virtual exam, according to a research group led by Fouad Moawad, MD. If virtual colonoscopy had not been a screening option, 91 (36%) said they would have foregone colon cancer screening.
The most common reasons for undergoing virtual colonoscopy included convenience (33.6%), recommendation by a referring provider (13.2%), and the perceived safety of the virtual technique (10.8%).
Moawad said the study indicates that offering virtual colonoscopy more widely could improve colon cancer screening rates, which remain suboptimal.
Related Reading
Study finds VC cost-effective if tiny polyps are ignored, September 9, 2010
Extracolonic findings add value to VC screening, August 24, 2010
VC not cost-effective -- unless screening rates rise, July 27, 2010
Screening VC sorts out incidental kidney lesions, June 15, 2010
5-year C-RADS analysis shows stable VC screening results, May 6, 2010
Copyright © 2010 AuntMinnie.com
![Images show the pectoralis muscles of a healthy male individual who never smoked (age, 66 years; height, 178 cm; body mass index [BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared], 28.4; number of cigarette pack-years, 0; forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], 97.6% predicted; FEV1: forced vital capacity [FVC] ratio, 0.71; pectoralis muscle area [PMA], 59.4 cm2; pectoralis muscle volume [PMV], 764 cm3) and a male individual with a smoking history and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) (age, 66 years; height, 178 cm; BMI, 27.5; number of cigarette pack-years, 43.2, FEV1, 48% predicted; FEV1:FVC, 0.56; PMA, 35 cm2; PMV, 480.8 cm3) from the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (i.e., CanCOLD) study. The CT image is shown in the axial plane. The PMV is automatically extracted using the developed deep learning model and overlayed onto the lungs for visual clarity.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/03/genkin.25LqljVF0y.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&h=100&q=70&w=100)
![Images show the pectoralis muscles of a healthy male individual who never smoked (age, 66 years; height, 178 cm; body mass index [BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared], 28.4; number of cigarette pack-years, 0; forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1], 97.6% predicted; FEV1: forced vital capacity [FVC] ratio, 0.71; pectoralis muscle area [PMA], 59.4 cm2; pectoralis muscle volume [PMV], 764 cm3) and a male individual with a smoking history and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) (age, 66 years; height, 178 cm; BMI, 27.5; number of cigarette pack-years, 43.2, FEV1, 48% predicted; FEV1:FVC, 0.56; PMA, 35 cm2; PMV, 480.8 cm3) from the Canadian Cohort Obstructive Lung Disease (i.e., CanCOLD) study. The CT image is shown in the axial plane. The PMV is automatically extracted using the developed deep learning model and overlayed onto the lungs for visual clarity.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/03/genkin.25LqljVF0y.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&crop=focalpoint&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
