Capsule endoscopy options in the gastroenterology field have grown, though colonoscopy remains the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening. How do these two different screening methods compare? Here are three things to know from a study published in Gastroenterology.
• A study of a first generation capsule found its sensitivity for polyps 6 mm or greater to be 64 percent and its sensitivity for polyps 10mm or greater to be 73 percent. The capsule's specificity for polyps 6mm or greater and 10mm or greater was 84 percent and 79 percent, respectively.
• The most recent study of a second generation capsule found sensitivity for polyps 6mm or greater to be 81 percent and 80 percent for polyps 10mm or greater. The capsule demonstrated specificity of 93 percent for polyps 6mm or greater and specificity of 97 percent for polyps 10mm or greater.
• The author concluded that capsule endoscopy may not be ready to take on a large role in population-based screening, but it has demonstrated significant technological advancement.