title: CT colonography for investigation of patients with symptoms potentially suggestive of colorectal cancer: a review of the UK SIGGAR trials.
abstract: This paper argues for the use of CT colonography (CTC) to investigate patients with symptoms potentially suggestive of colorectal cancer. It describes the rationale for the UK Special Interest Group in Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (SIGGAR) randomised controlled trials that compared CTC with barium enema (BE) or colonoscopy for diagnosis of colorectal cancer or large polyps in symptomatic patients. Diagnostic outcomes from the trials are detailed for both intra- and extracolonic disease, along with psychological reactions of patients to the tests, and cost-effectiveness of the different diagnostic strategies. The author concludes that BE should be replaced by CTC immediately and that CTC is a sensitive, acceptable and equally cost-effective alternative to colonoscopy in patients in whom colonoscopy is contraindicated or undesirable.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Medical Imaging, University College London, London, UK. s.halligan@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Halligan
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D023881:Colonography, Computed Tomographic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D004733:Enema / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate