Dec 21 2007
Medicsight PLC, a subsidiary of MGT Capital Investments, Inc., and an industry leader in the development of Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) and image analysis software which assists in the early detection of disease, welcomes the initiative by Barbara Cubin, Republican Representative for Wyoming, to introduce legislation to increase patient access to Computed Tomography Colonography (CTC). CTC is the innovative screening test for colorectal cancer that has the potential to save thousands of lives.
Cubin's bill (H.R. 4879, the Virtual Screening for Cancer Act (VSCA) of 2007) includes CTC as a colorectal cancer screening test covered under Medicare. CTC, also known as "virtual colonoscopy" (VC), offers a non-invasive and cost-effective means of detecting early stage cancer of the colon. In addition to expanding Medicare coverage to include virtual colonoscopy, Cubin's bill would also make CTC exams part of the "Welcome to Medicare" program in which Medicare beneficiaries would have their personal co-payments for virtual colonoscopies waived if the exam is conducted within the first six months of enrolment in Medicare, as is currently the case for optical colonoscopy examinations and mammograms. Cubin, who is a Member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, has worked with the medical community to craft this legislation. Democrat Representative Edolphus Towns (New York) joined Cubin as an original co-sponsor of her bill.
In a statement issued yesterday Cubin said: "Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States today. Early detection is the most effective method we have to combat this killer. Unfortunately, too many Americans shy away from traditional colonoscopy exams because of the discomfort associated with it. Virtual colonoscopies provide a more comfortable screening alternative that will lead to more patients getting the treatment they need."
David Sumner, Medicsight's Chief Executive, said: "Two recent major studies have confirmed that CT colonography is at least as sensitive and accurate as conventional optical colonoscopy as a screening tool for colorectal cancer. These results are the basis for initiatives such as the Cubin bill to introduce routine reimbursement for CT colonography for screening those aged 50 or more who are most at risk of developing this devastating condition. Medicsight's ColonCAD(TM) software, which can be used with any multi-detector CT imaging equipment, helps radiologists to interpret the CT scans and identify early-stage lesions. We expect the Company and its CAD software to be an important beneficiary of this trend."