HDTV Technology Improves Cancer-Catching Tests

A certain UVa alumnus named Katie Couric wanted to raise awareness of how colonoscopies are the “gold standard” to stop colorectal cancer in its tracks. Her televised colonoscopy in 2000 demystified the procedure and led to a 20 percent jump in the number of colonoscopies in the United States, perhaps saving hundreds of lives.

Now, patients who get colonoscopies at the University of Virginia Health System have a new, unique advantage in the ongoing fight to stay cancer-free. UVa has purchased fifteen high-definition endoscopes and the video processing systems that go with them. The new scopes will give UVa doctors the ability to image the digestive tract in greater detail to detect worrisome growths inside the colon, like polyps and pre-cancerous lesions. The half million-dollar upgrade in endoscopes is part of the Health System’s ongoing efforts to have the most advanced technology available to patients. The older scopes and processors will be retired. The new HDTV endoscopes are manufactured by the Olympus Co. and will be used for colonoscopies and upper endoscopy procedures. In colonoscopies, physicians visually examine the lining of the colon and rectum. Upper endoscopies are used to examine the esophagus, stomach and the upper part of the small intestine, the duodenum. “It is our hope that offering this new technology to the community will usher in a new era of screening for early changes associated with the development of cancers in the esophagus, stomach and colon,” said Dr. Paul Yeaton, associate professor of internal medicine at UVa and medical director of endoscopy at UVa’s Digestive Health Center of Excellence. “Our goal is to detect and eliminate abnormal tissues before they become cancerous.” The UVa scopes from Olympus are part of its EVIS EXERA II 180 series high definition system. According to Olympus, it is the world’s first system to deliver both high definition and narrow band imaging (NBI) technology to gastrointestinal examinations. The HDTV signal from a video processor more than doubles the number of scan lines produced by conventional systems, offering physicians remarkably clear views of anatomical structures and fine capillaries. NBI is a real-time technology developed by Olympus that enhances visualization of the capillary network of the intestines and other digestive organs. NBI works by altering the white light source emitted by the scope to a bluish light. This brings about improved visual contrast of the surface structure of the colon, esophagus or stomach, helping doctors see fine capillary patterns of the lining, which are normally hard to distinguish. UVa gastroenterologists recommend that men and women over the age of 50, without a risk of colon cancer, get a colonoscopy every ten years. But people who have had colon polyps, blood in the stool or a relative with colon cancer should see their doctor about getting the procedure earlier. Patients are given instruction in advance before a colonoscopy and usually must follow a liquid diet from 1 to 3 days beforehand. A colonoscopy is performed under sedation and generally takes from thirty to sixty minutes. Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home afterward.(Source: University of Virginia Health System: May 2006.)