Medical Malpractice:Failure to diagnose colon cancer: virtual colonoscopy may expand screening to more patients

Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death in the US. Although it is largely preventable through colonoscopy, screening remains underutilized.

A recent study by Hanna M. Zafar, MD, MHS at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows that despite reimbursement limitations, computed tomography colonography (CTC) or virtual colonoscopy may expand screening to more patients. The study “Predictors of CT Colonography Utilization Among Asymptomatic Medicare Beneficiaries” can be found online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.