If you’re between the ages of 45 and 85, you should have a colorectal cancer screening routine in place, per the American Cancer Society (ACS). But a colonoscopy—in which your doctor uses a special camera to look inside your colon and rectum in search of abnormal growths called polyps—isn’t the only option to take charge of your gastrointestinal health.
You can choose from noninvasive screening methods: computed tomography (CT) colonography and/or a stool-based test. Billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban tells Fortune he enjoys the relatively low cost and simplicity of the former, also called virtual colonoscopy. In short, it’s an X-ray exam that doesn’t require sedation or anesthesia.
“I like getting CT versions because while they are not cheap, the cash price is far less expensive than the cash price of a traditional colonoscopy,” Cuban says via email, “allowing me to get one every couple years and the traditional every seven.”
