Standards of practice for computed tomography colonography (CTC)
Date: 2021
Date of next review: 2025
Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK with over 42,300 cases a year and CTC provides a well-tolerated test which, when performed well, has a high sensitivity for the diagnosis of carcinoma. However, we know there is huge variability in the way this examination is performed. This document sets out the standards which ensure delivery of the highest quality of examination and sensitivity for disease detection.
This joint guidance from the RCR and British Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology defines:
- Technical and process standards for CTC (‘what to do’)
- Evidence-based quality measures and performance indicators for monitoring services and individuals (‘what to measure’)
- Practical advice, audit definitions and templates to assist services in auditing and documenting adherence to the relevant standards (‘how to measure it’).
Guidance for the use of imaging in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (BCSP) was revised in 2019, and deals with specific applications of CTC within the BCSP. Services providing CTC to the BCSP should read these two documents in conjunction.
