ACR touts merits of CT colonography for screening

In response to the release of the American Cancer Society's (ACS) new guideline for colorectal cancer screening, the American College of Radiology (ACR) has suggested that CT colonography (CTC) may help improve screening rates for colorectal cancer.

Although the overall number of colorectal cancer deaths per year has been falling, the number of cancers in people younger than 50 continues to rise, according to the society. In addition, African Americans and Latinos in the U.S. are less likely to get screened, which may contribute to their higher mortality rate.

One way to help increase screening of younger populations and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in colorectal cancer outcomes is to offer CT colonography, said Dr. Judy Yee, chair of the ACR Colon Cancer Committee, in a statement. CT colonography is as accurate as standard colonoscopy when screening for colorectal cancer, but it has the added benefits of being safer, faster, and much less invasive, she noted.