March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and Sanford Health Fargo has added another source for early detection.
Sanford Fargo is the first facility in North Dakota to utilize the Medtronic GI Genius, the first FDA-cleared artificial intelligence-assisted colonoscopy. The GI Genius employs AI to help physicians detect potentially pre-cancerous polyps, which can lead to colorectal cancer.
“Early detection plays such a critical role in detecting and beating colon cancer,” said Dr. John Bassett, Sanford Health gastroenterologist. “Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer in the United States, but it doesn’t have to be. This new technology can help detect colorectal cancer early when treatments are most effective.”
Colorectal cancer is the third most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States, with more than 150,000 new cases every year. Early detection is essential to preventing colorectal cancer, but polyps can be difficult to see. The GI Genius module uses advanced visualization and AI software to highlight polyps in real time. In a 2019 study, GI Genius had a faster reaction time than the average reaction time of endoscopists by more than one second.
Multiple studies have shown the GI Genius module offers a variety of benefits to patients and physicians. In a study published in 2022 in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Society, the GI Genius technology was shown to significantly decrease the miss rate of adenomas and polyps by 45.8%.
Sanford Health recommends colorectal cancer screenings for individuals over the age of 45. Sanford Health also recommends colorectal cancer screenings if you’re under 45 years old, have symptoms or have a family history of colon cancer.
For more information on how to schedule a colonoscopy, visit sanfordhealth.org.
Learn more
- Colonoscopies: Debunking the myths
- Younger age for colon screening catches polyps early
- Patient is colon cancer-free after robotic-assisted surgery
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Posted In Cancer, Cancer Screenings, Digestive Health, Fargo, News
