Tech: Virtual Scans: Not Quite There Yet

It wasn't a vote of confidence. A national study found that virtual colonoscopy, a computerized-imaging technique that offers a less invasive way to screen for colon cancer, was significantly less effective at finding polyps than standard scans. Yet only months ago, another study, using more advanced equipment, showed it to be just as good as traditional colonoscopy at detection. The disparity prompted J.A.M.A. to editorialize that the difference between virtual colonoscopy's potential and its results in normal practice is "so great that physicians must be cautious." Both technique and training need improvement.