The Management of Small Polyps Found by Virtual Colonoscopy: Results of a Decision Analysis  Chin Hur, Daniel C. Chung, Robert E. Schoen, G. Scott Gazelle  Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology  Volume 5, Issue 2, Pages 237-244 (February 2007) DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2006.11.003 Copyright © 2007 AGA Institute Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 Markov model used for the analysis. The start of the model shows a hypothetic 50-year-old patient who is found to have a 6- to 9-mm polypoid lesion on a screening CTC. Two strategies, immediate colonoscopy for polypectomy (COLO), and repeat the CTC examination in 3 years (WAIT), are modeled. A triangle at the end of a course signifies that the patient will be in this state at the end of the 3-year analysis. A circle with the letter m inside signifies that this is a Markov chain and that the patient will continue to another portion of the model. As stated in the text box, a patient with cancer can die from the cancer at any time in the 3-year analysis based on the annual stage-specific mortality rates stage (see Table 1). Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2007 5, 237-244DOI: (10.1016/j.cgh.2006.11.003) Copyright © 2007 AGA Institute Terms and Conditions