Bloomberg News, among other media outlets, reported on a study which found that laxative-free virtual colonoscopies using computed tomography are almost as effective as standard colonoscopies as a screening test for polyps. According to the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, virtual colonoscopy detected polyps of a size most likely to turn cancerous in 91% of patients, while standard colonoscopy found similarly sized polyps in 95% of patients. Having a less invasive option available may encourage more people to be screened for polyps.