The CVIP Lab has been awarded $1.05M NSF grant to study colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S. It is also the second leading cause of cancer deaths, behind lung cancer. It originates as small growths (polyps) attached to the luminal wall of the colon and rectum. If polyps are not timely diagnosed and treated, they may grow and become cancerous. Untreated colorectal cancer spreads from local invasion of the colon and rectum (in situ) into surrounding tissues, lymph nodes (regional) and eventually to distant parts of the body, e.g., the liver and lungs. If diagnosed early, colorectal cancer has a remarkable recovery rate, reaching over 95%. Computed Tomography Colonography, which remotely visualizes the interior of the colon using a 3D reconstructed model of the colon from an abdominal CT scan of prepped patients. Coordination of Computed Tomography Colonography (for polyps detection and classification) and Optical Colonoscopy (for validation and removal of polyps) holds the best option to detect and prevent cancer. This NSF-SCH project deals with using Computed Tomography Colonography as a non-invasive early screening and follow-up for colorectal cancer, and would research and create methods for optimizing it and synchronization with Optical Colonoscopy.