You can choose from noninvasive screening methods<\/a>: computed tomography (CT) colonography and\/or a stool-based test. Billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank<\/em> investor Mark Cuban<\/a> tells Fortune<\/em> he enjoys the relatively low cost and simplicity of the former, also called virtual colonoscopy<\/a>. In short, it\u2019s an X-ray exam that doesn\u2019t require sedation or anesthesia.<\/p>\n \u201cI like getting CT versions because while they are not cheap, the cash price is far less expensive than the cash price of a traditional colonoscopy,\u201d Cuban says via email, \u201callowing me to get one every couple years and the traditional every seven.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Cuban says the cash price for his most recent virtual colonoscopy was under $600. Procedure cost may vary by location. For example, in New York City\u2019s 10038 ZIP code where Fortune<\/em> is located, a virtual colonoscopy with contrast ranges from $496\u2013$2,613 with a fair price of $778, according to Healthcare Bluebook<\/a>. A traditional colonoscopy ranges from $997\u2013$10,541 with a fair price of $2,712.<\/p>\n Because the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)<\/a> recommends colorectal cancer screenings beginning at age 45 for people at average risk of developing the disease, federal law requires Medicare<\/a> and private health insurers to cover the costs<\/a>. This means patients shouldn\u2019t need to navigate copays or deductibles. However, the ACS notes the definition of a \u201cscreening\u201d versus a \u201cdiagnostic\u201d test may vary by insurer, and not all plans cover all forms of colorectal cancer screenings.<\/p>\n In addition, people at high risk of developing colorectal cancer may need screenings earlier and more often. Talk to your doctor about which test is right for you and your insurer about how to get it covered.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr. Arthur Winer<\/a>, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute<\/a> in Fairfax, Virginia, and Dr. Derek Ebner<\/a>, a gastroenterology and hepatology neoplasia fellow at the Mayo Clinic<\/a> in Rochester, Minnesota, explain your options for noninvasive colorectal cancer screenings below.<\/p>\n Whereas traditional colonoscopy involves snaking a camera called a colonoscope through your colon and rectum, the virtual option consists of X-rays and a computer creating 3D images of these organs. Neither test, however, can be performed with stool in the way.<\/p>\n \u201cThe beginning preparation is the same,\u201d Winer tells Fortune<\/em>. \u201cYou still need to clean the colon out, so you don\u2019t get to get out of taking a bunch of laxatives and having to run to the bathroom.\u201d<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also need to drink a contrast medium the night before the procedure. Even so, a virtual colonoscopy takes just 10 to 15 minutes\u2014the traditional method takes under an hour\u2014and because you won\u2019t be sedated or anesthetized, you can drive yourself home or back to work and immediately resume regular activities.<\/p>\n While the CT colonography itself is noninvasive, your radiologist will typically insert a catheter into your rectum to inflate your large intestine with air or carbon dioxide.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe colon\u2014just like any hollow space\u2014if there\u2019s nothing on the inside, it\u2019s going to collapse,\u201d Ebner tells Fortune<\/em>. \u201cThe radiologists have to use that air, that gas in order to open up the colon to then see with the CT images, are there polyps or abnormalities along the inside lining of the colon.\u201d<\/p>\n Traditional colonoscopy is safe, with low risk of the colonoscope poking a hole in your organs or causing infection, Winer says; virtual colonoscopy further reduces that risk. The virtual option does come with a low dose of radiation<\/a> similar to that of other medical imaging.<\/p>\n CT colonography may be a good fit for people averse to an invasive colonoscopy or who have trouble with anesthetics. The procedure \u201chas reasonable accuracy to detect colorectal cancer and adenomas<\/a> (noncancerous tumors),\u201d according to the USPSTF, and should be done more frequently: every five years instead of 10. Traditional colonoscopy remains the more comprehensive approach; CT colonography can\u2019t remove polyps and may miss those smaller than 10 millimeters<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe benefit of a (traditional) colonoscopy is that it both diagnoses the problem and potentially can treat it at the same time,\u201d Winer says, referring to polyp removal. \u201c[Doctors] thread a lasso around them and snare them off. And if they find a tumor, they will biopsy it and mark it with some ink to show other doctors where it is in the colon.\u201d<\/p>\n Occasionally, during a traditional colonoscopy the scope is unable to reach all the way to the beginning of the large intestine, Ebner says. When this happens, your doctor may have you undergo a virtual colonoscopy to complete the screening.\u00a0<\/p>\n Medicare doesn\u2019t cover CT colonography.<\/p>\nWhat is a virtual colonoscopy?<\/h2>\n
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