CT scans that offers patients a less invasive test, is more effective than the traditional X-ray test of barium enema and should now be considered alongside the ‘gold standard’ of colonoscopy for investigating patients with possible bowel cancer. CT colonography (CTC) works by taking hundreds of x-ray ‘slices’ through the body which are then processed by a computer to create a ‘virtual’ 3D image of the inside of the bowel, similar to what is seen during colonoscopy. CTC is a less uncomfortable test and, unlike colonoscopy, patients do not need to be sedated. The research funded by the NIHR’s Health Technology Programme and Cancer Research UK, recommends that guidelines are needed before CTC is used more widely because of its ability to detect relatively unimportant findings that can result in patients being referred for unnecessary follow-up tests.