Over-65s could benefit from virtual colonoscopy

People over the age of 65 could benefit from virtual colonoscopy screening, according to a new study.

Researchers investigated if virtual colonoscopy - or CT colonography as it is known - has a better diagnostic accuracy than traditional optical colonoscopies for older adults.

No difference was found between the two methods, indicating that virtual colonoscopy is a safe option for older adults.

The discovery was made by professor Daniel Johnson and his team of researchers, who investigated the two procedures among 2,600 patients.

"We found no statistical difference in the diagnostic performance between the two patient groups," Dr Johnson said. "This is good information for patients of any age, as they can consider CT colonography as a valid option for colorectal cancer screening."

A previous study has suggested that vitamin D can protect people against colon cancer by inhibiting the growth of cancerous cells.

Specifically, vitamin D's reception VDR is key in slowing down the action of protein implicated in the carcinogenic transformation process of colon cancer.

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