Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the U.S., but there is a 90 percent five-year survival rate if it’s found at the local stage, according to the Colon Cancer Alliance. MITA published a new study today that proves that CT colonography is a cost-effective colorectal cancer screening option for the Medicare population.

“CT colonography presents a cost-effective alternative to optical colonoscopy and is effective at early detection of colon cancer, a deadly disease which is very costly to treat,” Patrick Hope, executive director of MITA, told HCB News.

The study was conducted by researchers from Milliman, Inc. and University of Wisconsin School for Medicine & Public Health. They used Medicare claims data, fee schedules, established protocols and other sources to estimate the pre-screen costs of CT colonography and optical colonoscopy.
The researchers then modeled and compared the Medicare costs of patients who complied with CT colonography and optical colonoscopy screening recommendations and tested alternative scenarios. They found that CT colonography is 29 percent less expensive than traditional colonoscopy for the Medicare population.

MITA is hoping that the data will encourage CMS to cover CT colonography. “In the near future, it is expected that CMS will open a coverage analysis for CTC,” said Hope.

Previous national studies have also shown that CT colonography is an effective tool to detect colorectal cancer in Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. The 2012 American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) paper that was published in Radiology found that CT colonography is comparable to optical colonoscopy for Americans over the age of 65.

In addition, the 2008 ACRIN trial that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that it is effective for the broader 50 years and older population.

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