Virtual Colonoscopy: Ready for Prime Time
A quiet revolution in cancer screening is under way that
could prevent or cure as much as 90% of colon cancers, the
second leading cause of cancer death. Last April, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration issued its first approval of a
three-dimensional computer visualization technology as a
patient screening tool for detecting colorectal cancer. The
technology was invented and developed by Leading Professor
of Computer Science Ari Kaufman, who heads the
University’s Center for Visual Computing. He has
devoted three decades to research in image generation and
volume rendering, which makes it possible to create 3-D
images from the 2-D data provided by a CT scan.
The technology enables the radiologist to “fly
through” the patient’s colon on the computer
screen, stopping to examine any anomaly that might be a
precancerous polyp. Enhancements being developed for the
software will permit interior examination of underlying
tissues. The FDA approval was preceded by articles in the New England Journal of Medicine and the American Journal of
Roentgenology reporting on the effectiveness of “virtual” colonoscopy in detecting intestinal
polyps. An editorial in the highly respected NEJM concluded that, with the demonstration of reproducibility
and the resolution of a few other questions, “then
screening virtual colonoscopy is ready for prime
time.” And just last week, the National Science
Foundation — which continues to support Prof.
Kaufman’s work on volume visualization —
featured the technology in the “Discoveries” section of its Website,
where the agency highlights results of its “public
investment in science, engineering, education and
technology [helping] to create knowledge and sustain
prosperity.” The NSF report includes a link to a
video enabling the viewer to see what the radiologist sees
during a “flythrough.” Viatronix Inc., an
emerging company built around the technology, is a tenant
in the Long Island High Technology Incubator, ranked among
the top ten in the U.S., on the Stony Brook campus.
Since the overwhelming majority of colorectal cancers can
be cured if diagnosed early, Prof. Kaufman’s highest
hope is that the relatively less intrusive
“virtual” procedure will double the current 40%
compliance rate for colonoscopies among Americans in the
age range that puts them at risk.
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