Can an abdominal/pelvic ct scan show colon polyps or cancer?

IF GROWTH IS: Betond the wall of the bowel. It may show enlarged lymph nodes which will alert a doctor to do further studies. These scans are typically not very good for hollow intra abdominal organs. This is the reason why surveillance/screening colonoscopies/sigmoidoscopies are so important.

May: A 3d ct, with colon preparation would be needed for reliable screening for colon polyps and cancer. A routine ct should not be relied upon for such screening. If a ct scan shows a lesion, that needs to be addressed, if it does not, that does not exclude colonic pathology.

CT Scan Findings: Ct scan is not the best study to detect colon cancer. Although a ct scan may show a large sized colon cancer, the sensitivity of this is greatly reduced without the administration of oral contrast. The best diagnostic study for colon cancer or polyps is colonoscopy.