Is a CT scan as accurate as a colonoscopy?
Is a CT scan as accurate as a colonoscopy?
Colonoscopies have long been the standard screening procedure for detecting growths in the colon, but CT Colonography is a comparably accurate, non-invasive alternative.
Can a CT scan detect metastatic colon cancer?
“CT scans are adept at locating pathology IN the abdomen or outside of the bowel,” says Sander R. Binderow, MD, FACS, FASCRS of Atlanta Colon & Rectal Surgery. Dr. Binderow continues, “CT is very good for solid organ disease — liver, spleen, kidneys. It can show metastatic colon cancer…
Can a CT scan show obstruction of the colon?
The doctor ordered a CT scan and at some point, she commented that it would be good news if the scan did not show an “obstruction,” as this could possibly be a malignant mass—having originated as colon cancer but having infiltrated outside of the colon where a CT scan would pick it up.
What’s the next step after a CT scan for colon cancer?
Dr. Binderow explains, “If a CT is suspicious for a colorectal cancer, the next immediate step would be a colonoscopy — which again is the best test to evaluate the colon and find colon cancer.”
Can a colonoscopy predict a CT scan for diarrhea?
Of the patients with diarrhea, 48 (48%) underwent colonoscopy and 46 (46%) underwent both CT and colonoscopy. In the 34 patients (34%) with a CT and biopsy, CT was highly predictive of colitis on biopsy (positive predictive value 96%), and the absence of CT findings was predictive of a negative biopsy (negative likelihood ratio 0.2).
What to do if you have colon cancer on a CT scan?
And even if a mass does indeed show up on a CT scan…this doesn’t mean it’s malignant. Dr. Binderow explains, “If a CT is suspicious for a colorectal cancer, the next immediate step would be a colonoscopy — which again is the best test to evaluate the colon and find colon cancer.”
The doctor ordered a CT scan and at some point, she commented that it would be good news if the scan did not show an “obstruction,” as this could possibly be a malignant mass—having originated as colon cancer but having infiltrated outside of the colon where a CT scan would pick it up.
Which is better a colonoscopy or a CT scan?
We conclude that CT is a fast, reliable, and noninvasive mode of diagnosing colitis, whereas colonoscopy and biopsy may not be needed to establish that diagnosis. Cancer Immunol Res; 5 (4); 286–91. ©2017 AACR.
Of the patients with diarrhea, 48 (48%) underwent colonoscopy and 46 (46%) underwent both CT and colonoscopy. In the 34 patients (34%) with a CT and biopsy, CT was highly predictive of colitis on biopsy (positive predictive value 96%), and the absence of CT findings was predictive of a negative biopsy (negative likelihood ratio 0.2).