Table 4. Application of the 4 Domains: Colorectal Cancer Screening by Using Computed Tomography (CT) Colonography24
| Domain | Information |
|---|---|
| Potential preventable burden | A screening program that incorporates the option of CT colonography could help reduce colorectal cancer mortality in the population if patients who would otherwise refuse screening found it an acceptable alternative. |
| Potential harms | The potential harms from evaluation of incidental findings found with CT colonography may be large.
The lifetime cumulative radiation risk from use of CT colonography to screen for colorectal cancer should be considered, as well as the growing cumulative radiation exposure from the use of other kinds of diagnostic and screening tests that involve radiation exposure. |
| Costs | Patient time and burden to participate in colorectal cancer screening using test strategies that require bowel preparation are substantial.
A CT colonography screening strategy that did not involve bowel preparation would decrease the burden of adherence. The cost of CT colonography is high. |
| Current practice | Computed tomographic colonography performed by trained and experienced radiographers may not be currently available in many parts of the United States. |
Current as of: February 2009