Colon capsule endoscopy compared with conventional colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal neoplasms

Given the low compliance with screening colonoscopy in countries with a national colorectal cancer screening program, noninvasive methods with an acceptable high rate of sensitivity and specificity are welcome to enlarge the array of screening tools. Colon capsule endoscopy seems to be a safe and effective method of visualizing the colonic mucosa without the need for sedation or insufflation of air. Bowel cleansing for colon capsule endoscopy is more rigorous as only excellent or good results can be accepted in order to obtain an adequate sensitivity. This restricts its application on persons who are able to drink 4 l of polyethylene glycol plus laxatives. The sensitivity of colon capsule endoscopy to detect polyps, advanced adenomas and cancer is lower compared with optical colonoscopy. It still seems to be an adequate alternative for patients reluctant to undergo colonoscopy. Conventional colonoscopy is still established as the gold standard in colorectal cancer screening and is used to evaluate positive screening tests of all programs. It is the only method with the ability to remove detected polyps and obtain biopsy specimens.