Colon cancer can be cured if it and pre-cancerous polyps are caught early. But doctors at Mayo Clinic say only half of all people at risk of colon cancer get screened for the disease.

That's because some people don't know they should be screened...

And others simply don't want to undergo colonoscopy. But a new test developed at mayo clinic makes the screening process a whole lot easier.

“I see CT Colonography as a way of extending colorectal cancer screening to more and more people”

A way to save more lives.

“It is a fancy x-ray of the colon where we’re able to visualize the lining of the colon to check for polyps”

Or fully developed colon cancer. Unlike traditional colonoscopy, which involves inserting a scope into your colon while you’re under sedation, CT Colonography is quick and non-invasive.

“You can get your exam in the morning and go back to work later that same morning”

Dr. Joel Fletcher says right now the bowel preparation for CT Colonography is the same as Colonoscopy. You can only have liquids the day before and you have to drink from two quarts to a gallon of a special liquid to clear out your system.

But doctors are developing ways which will only require patients to take Barium tablets and a small amount of liquid without changing their diet.

The technology uses CT Scans to create two and three dimensional maps of the inner surface of the colon and rectum.

“There are two ways I can look for Polyps”

One is by using the 2-D CT Scan to look for narrowing and defects of the colon.

“I can correlate that very quickly with the 3-D”

That mass is a Polyp and possibly a cancer. If cancer is found patients will then have a traditional colonoscopy so doctors can take a biopsy. That test remains the standard for people at high risk. But for people at average or low risk, Virtual Colonoscopy may be an easier option.

Dr. Fletcher says the test may get even easier in the future as it may be performed with limited bowel preparation.

He also says CT colonography has proven to be just as effective as traditional colonoscopy at detecting most cancers. He says the technology will not replace scoping, but it will reduce the number of people who have to have the procedure.