Working together to reduce New Zealand's high mortality rate from bowel cancer - let's get talking
Auckland Radiology is proud to support both the NZ GUT Foundation and Bowel Cancer New Zealand in their ongoing research and fantastic initiatives aimed at both identifying and removing barriers to the early diagnosis and treatment of many gut related diseases, including bowel cancer. Barriers such as people’s unease at talking about their bowel movements and simply not knowing about diagnostic testing options available to them, or where and who to talk to.
Appreciating the critical role of an early diagnosis in detecting bowel cancer, Dr Adrian Balasingam, Chief Medical Officer for Pacific Radiology, notes the importance of increasing awareness amongst patients and doctors of using a CT Colonography as a highly effective and more readily available diagnostic procedure.
Gaining access to a timely diagnosis can be lifesaving. If we as a radiology community can help our surgical and gastroenterology colleagues by taking some of the pressure off colonoscopy waitlists, then let’s do it.
Know your Options
A CT Colonography (CTC) is a good diagnostic option for people with bowel-related symptoms or a family history of bowel cancer.
What is a CT Colonography?
A CT colonography (CTC) is an advanced and accurate diagnostic method used to detect colon cancer and pre-cancerous polyps. Safer, quicker and less invasive than a conventional colonoscopy, this technique uses a CT scan of the abdomen, along with 3D reconstructed images, to focus on the large bowel, where bowel cancer typically exists.
Who is a CT Colonography a good option for?
A CT colonography is a good option for people with bowel-related symptoms or a family history of bowel cancer.
How do I get a CT Colonography
Any symptoms or concerns regarding your bowel should be discussed with your doctor. At that point you can talk to your doctor about whether CT colonography is a good option for you.
Are there advantages of CT colonography over a colonoscopy?
Extensive research in New Zealand and around the world has demonstrated that CT colonography can detect bowel cancer at the same rate as conventional colonoscopy. Perhaps the biggest advantage is life-saving time. In NZ, waitlists for colonoscopy can be very long (months or even years).
CT colonography allows us to see beyond the bowel into all the other organs within the abdomen to gain a much wider picture for to make a diagnosis. This is particularly important as symptoms of bowel cancer are often very non-specific and other problems in the abdomen can cause symptoms that can mimic bowel cancer.
Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson Undergoes a CT Colonography
Join New Zealand rugby legends, All Blacks coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson and star Israel Dagg, as they step off the field to tackle an important opponent: gut health. In this exclusive video brought to you by Gut Foundation NZ, in partnership with Pacific Radiology, Robertson and Dagg dive deep into the critical topic of gut health awareness, the vital role of CT Colonography, and why men, in particular, need to pay attention to their digestive health.
