CAD solution for identifying colon polyps
Traditionally, the standard of care for colon cancer screening has been optical colonoscopy, but the invasive nature of this procedure affects compliance with screening recommendations. CT Colonography (virtual colonoscopy) offers patients a less-invasive alternative. The majority of colorectal cancer deaths are preventable with early screening, and CT Colonography has been shown to be highly effective in the detection of polyps and adenomas in the colon. It is possible, however, for radiologists to have difficulty visualising polyps with CT Colonography, even with careful study review. Computeraided detection (CAD) for virtual colonoscopy has been shown to be effective in the detection of colonic polyps and to have a positive effect on reader sensitivity. A CAD software solution is now available that automatically identifies colon polyps. VeraLook is designed to detect and highlight potential polyps during CTC examinations. Extensive testing with radiologists has demonstrated that the use of this CAD solution improved reader sensitivity to all colonic polyps in a statistically significant manner, particularly for smaller, more easily missed polyps and pre-cancerous polyps which can develop into malignancies over time. The CAD solution has also demonstrated high standalone sensitivity in detecting polyps, while generating a low number of clinically acceptable false positive marks on CTC images, and is now integrated into Vital Images’Vitrea workstation as a result of a strategic partnership agreement signed earlier this year. VeraLook is also available for the TeraRecon Aquarius iNtuition and Viatronix V3D workstations.
