The evolution of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy has transformed CRC diagnostics since its early 20th-century origins. Initial rigid endoscopes provided limited visualization, were highly uncomfortable for patients, and only partially visualized the colon. With the introduction of fiber-optic technology in the 1950s, endoscopy began transmitting real-time images, greatly enhancing diagnostic applications for GI conditions.
Today, CRC remains a primary target for endoscopic screening due to its high prevalence as the second leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. Despite technological advancements, standard endoscopic practices, including colonoscopies, miss approximately 2.1-5.
9% of polyps or cancers, and nearly 30% of removed polyps are incompletely resected, potentially leading to CRC after screening. Furthermore, only 11.4% of biopsies show malignancy, meaning that nearly 88.
6% of sampled tissues were healthy, posing unnecessary procedural risks. This review critically examines traditional and cutting-edge endoscopic modalities, comparing their diagnostic accuracy and limitations to guide improvements in CRC diagnosis. Current endoscopic modalities Endoscopic technology encompasses wide-field and microscopic-field techniques, each with specific strengths and drawbacks for CRC screening.
Wide-field modalities-;such as WLE, virtual and dye-based chromoendoscopy, ultrathin endoscopy, and capsule endoscopy-;enable large-scale visualization of the GI tract. Whit.