Colonoscopy is a diagnostic examination that uses an endoscopic probe to explore the internal walls of the colon and determine the presence of lesions, ulcers, obstructions and, most importantly, tumor masses.
This type of test is a fundamental preventative tool for everyone, although it is recommended as a screening test, particularly for people at risk. Thanks to a simple test like this, it is already possible to identify and, if necessary, remove very small tumors, thus preventing their irreversible degeneration.
Colonoscopy helps prevent the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in Italy: colorectal cancer. This examination is generally performed after a positive result on a fecal occult blood test, a test included in regional early detection programs for this serious disease.
Although this type of examination is performed with the utmost care and is becoming less uncomfortable, it is still considered potentially painful and embarrassing due to its undeniably invasive nature. A colonoscope, a flexible tube equipped with a microcamera, is manually inserted into the anal canal.
Medicine has continued to make significant progress in this area. Regarding colonoscopy, a major innovation has recently emerged: virtual colonoscopy. Let’s see what it involves. Virtual colonoscopy is a non-invasive radiological technique that allows visualization of the colon wall without an endoscope. It makes the examination much less invasive than a traditional colonoscopy, while providing much more accurate results.
