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Q I'm a 51-year-old Black man who tries to do the right thing to take care of my health. But I'm not crazy about the idea of getting a colonoscopy. I don't like the thought of how it's performed. What can you tell me about the "virtual colonoscopy," and how effective is it?

A Some researchers say "virtual colonoscopies," which are noninvasive, are just as effective as regular colonoscopies. When a colonoscopies performed, a doctor inserts a lighted, flexible tube (with a camera attached) into the rectum and moves it through the colon to check for precancerous polyps. If the growths are found, the doctor can remove them immediately. That can't be done with the virtual version. In that method, a CT scanner takes x-rays of the colon and are converted into two- and three-dimensional images. The virtual procedure is quicker and eliminates the possibility of a perforated colon. Two important points: Medicare and insurance comanies don't pay for virtual colonoscopies, and the procedure is not yet recommended by the American Cancer society and some other medical experts.

# posted by Medical Information : 11:01 PM