Colonoscopy yesterday

wawaju04976
wawaju04976 Member Posts: 316 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Back in NOvember, I was having dry heaves and unable to go to the bathroom. An emergency room visit showed suspicious areas on my liver. I was sent home, only to go back to a different hospital. They did another catscan, and opened me up the next day. I had a major infection at the end of my anus (absess). They put in a colostomy bag to take away the pain, as well as to allow the absess to drain. They also biopsied my liver at that time. Three days later I was told I my liver biopsy came back positive for colon cancer. The surgeon assumed it started in my rectum. Five days after my initial operation, I had surgery to remove the anal absess. The surgeon went up as far into the rectum as he could (I assume where it was cut off before the ostomy) and he saw nothing suspicious. I went home one week later and started chemo (folfox every two weeks with avastin sp?). My oncologist mentioned having a colonoscopy at some point. My oncologist again reassured me my liver stained positive for colon cancer, but nothing really showed on scans. Last Friday was my second chemo tx. I told the oncologist I wanted a colonoscopy to see where exactly the cancer is in my colon. So, yesterday I had a colonoscopy. As the nurse explained things, I did remind her I expected to see something on the colonoscopy, since I was already dx w/colon cancer and had had my second tx. I reminded the doctor also. BAsically, not much showed up. Her summary went like this: *Normal colon s/p biopsies in the cecum and at 30 cm from the ostomy suspicious for a flat polyp. Otherwise no masses were seen. *Fair bowel prep BBPS 1+2+2=5/9  *Posible rectal fistula s/p biopsies about that site.    I am to call back in a week for the biopsy specimens. But overall, she saw nothing alarming on my colonoscopy. So I'm not sure now where my cancer is coming from, or why it stained positive for colon cancer. Any thoughts?

Comments

  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #2
    G'day judy
    Sorry your scope has given no direction as to your primary but at least you can feel confident that at least your large bowel is in reasonable shape. Did your gi give any indication as to what may have caused the abcess. It's the sort of thing you expect with chrons or colitis. Keep the pressure on them to keep looking. Hope your recovery goes well,Hugs Ron.
  • wawaju04976
    wawaju04976 Member Posts: 316 Member
    #3
    ron50 said:

    G'day judy
    Sorry your scope has given no direction as to your primary but at least you can feel confident that at least your large bowel is in reasonable shape. Did your gi give any indication as to what may have caused the abcess. It's the sort of thing you expect with chrons or colitis. Keep the pressure on them to keep looking. Hope your recovery goes well,Hugs Ron.

    Actually, Ron, my fiance has

    Actually, Ron, my fiance has an appt. w/my oncologist tomorrow afternoon (yep, he has stage 4 melanoma...when it rains, it pours). I got voice mail from his office, and he has referred me to a surgeon for Jan. 8th. The call came after my colonoscopy, so I'm thinking he might want to biopsy my liver again. It is very strange that it came back positive for cc. I will find out more tomorrow. Thanks for the encouragement!!!

     

    Judy

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #4
    Not an expert, by any means,

    but some possibilities come to mind.

    The colonoscopy doesn't scope the entire bowel, so there could be a tumor further up in the intestines that the scope isn't picking up.

    Tumors can develop on the outside of the colon wall, also won't be seen by a scope, until it breaks through into the interior of the colon (this was the situation in my case).

    I have read of at least one case on another board where the patient had colon cancer in various parts of his body, but the primary tumor was never found...it may be that in some cases the original tumor has been destroyed by the body's immune system, but not before it was able to spread.

    Good luck on getting more info from your doctor, and keep us posted on how things go.  Ann Alexandria

  • wawaju04976
    wawaju04976 Member Posts: 316 Member
    #5
    annalexandria said:

    Not an expert, by any means,

    but some possibilities come to mind.

    The colonoscopy doesn't scope the entire bowel, so there could be a tumor further up in the intestines that the scope isn't picking up.

    Tumors can develop on the outside of the colon wall, also won't be seen by a scope, until it breaks through into the interior of the colon (this was the situation in my case).

    I have read of at least one case on another board where the patient had colon cancer in various parts of his body, but the primary tumor was never found...it may be that in some cases the original tumor has been destroyed by the body's immune system, but not before it was able to spread.

    Good luck on getting more info from your doctor, and keep us posted on how things go.  Ann Alexandria

    I will keep you posted, thank

    I will keep you posted, thank you!!!

    Judy

  • Chelsea71
    Chelsea71 Member Posts: 1,169 Member
    #6
    annalexandria said:

    Not an expert, by any means,

    but some possibilities come to mind.

    The colonoscopy doesn't scope the entire bowel, so there could be a tumor further up in the intestines that the scope isn't picking up.

    Tumors can develop on the outside of the colon wall, also won't be seen by a scope, until it breaks through into the interior of the colon (this was the situation in my case).

    I have read of at least one case on another board where the patient had colon cancer in various parts of his body, but the primary tumor was never found...it may be that in some cases the original tumor has been destroyed by the body's immune system, but not before it was able to spread.

    Good luck on getting more info from your doctor, and keep us posted on how things go.  Ann Alexandria

    This was the case with Steve
    This was the case with Steve too. He had a very sneaky tumor that started on the outside and moved in. Several colonoscopies did not pick up on it.

    Chelsea
  • wawaju04976
    wawaju04976 Member Posts: 316 Member
    #7
    Chelsea71 said:

    This was the case with Steve
    This was the case with Steve too. He had a very sneaky tumor that started on the outside and moved in. Several colonoscopies did not pick up on it.

    Chelsea

    How did they finally find

    How did they finally find Steve's tumor. I've had two catscans, as well as a petscan. Nothing showed on either as far as the colon, that is why I decided I wanted a colonoscopy, just to find out where in my colon it was. I did have an abscess when I went into the hospital, which was so bad they put in a colostomy to relieve the pain; it drained, then they removed the abscess. I will have my third chemo Friday, then we will look again to see what is happening with the liver. Thank you for the info...!

    Judy

  • Chelsea71
    Chelsea71 Member Posts: 1,169 Member
    #8
    wawaju04976 said:

    How did they finally find

    How did they finally find Steve's tumor. I've had two catscans, as well as a petscan. Nothing showed on either as far as the colon, that is why I decided I wanted a colonoscopy, just to find out where in my colon it was. I did have an abscess when I went into the hospital, which was so bad they put in a colostomy to relieve the pain; it drained, then they removed the abscess. I will have my third chemo Friday, then we will look again to see what is happening with the liver. Thank you for the info...!

    Judy

    He had a regular colonoscopy
    He had a regular colonoscopy one year before diagnosis. Looked fine. A year later he had a blockage. Constipated, vomiting etc.... He had had ulcerative colitis for years, therefore, they thought he might have a stricture caused by years of inflammation etc. CT scan showed a narrowing of the sigmoid colon. Of course they also thought it might be cancer. Did a colonoscopy. Looked fine. Biopsy came back the next day indicating cancer. He was told that the blockage was caused by waste becoming trapped in the area of the narrowing. They said that due to the cancerous cells and the fact that he had u. c. They wanted to take the entire colon and not just do a hemi. They said the u.c. was the likely cause of the cancer and they felt that if the whole colon wasn't removed, that cancer would eventually develop in another section. When they opened him up they realized the tumor had grown inward from the outside. Also saw unusual retro-peritoneal lymph nodes which, of course, biopsies positive for cancer.

    Keep in mind that cancer develops differently in someone who has inflammatory bowel disease. Steve's situation is not the norm. There was no polyp that eventually turned into a tumor. His doctor figures it started quickly and took over quickly. Caused by years of inflammation. Said he's only seen one other situation like Steve's in his 30 years of practice.

    All the best to you,

    Chelsea
  • wawaju04976
    wawaju04976 Member Posts: 316 Member
    #9
    Chelsea71 said:

    He had a regular colonoscopy
    He had a regular colonoscopy one year before diagnosis. Looked fine. A year later he had a blockage. Constipated, vomiting etc.... He had had ulcerative colitis for years, therefore, they thought he might have a stricture caused by years of inflammation etc. CT scan showed a narrowing of the sigmoid colon. Of course they also thought it might be cancer. Did a colonoscopy. Looked fine. Biopsy came back the next day indicating cancer. He was told that the blockage was caused by waste becoming trapped in the area of the narrowing. They said that due to the cancerous cells and the fact that he had u. c. They wanted to take the entire colon and not just do a hemi. They said the u.c. was the likely cause of the cancer and they felt that if the whole colon wasn't removed, that cancer would eventually develop in another section. When they opened him up they realized the tumor had grown inward from the outside. Also saw unusual retro-peritoneal lymph nodes which, of course, biopsies positive for cancer.

    Keep in mind that cancer develops differently in someone who has inflammatory bowel disease. Steve's situation is not the norm. There was no polyp that eventually turned into a tumor. His doctor figures it started quickly and took over quickly. Caused by years of inflammation. Said he's only seen one other situation like Steve's in his 30 years of practice.

    All the best to you,

    Chelsea

    I hope all is well with your

    I hope all is well with your husband. Again, thank you for the info!!! This disease sucks!!!

    Judy

  • Chelsea71
    Chelsea71 Member Posts: 1,169 Member
    #10
    wawaju04976 said:

    I hope all is well with your

    I hope all is well with your husband. Again, thank you for the info!!! This disease sucks!!!

    Judy

    Hi Judy,
    I'm curious about
    Hi Judy,

    I'm curious about your liver. What is the plan? Have your doctors mentioned a resection or RFA etc? My husband has liver mets. Unsure at this point as to what will be done.

    Chelsea
  • wawaju04976
    wawaju04976 Member Posts: 316 Member
    #11
    Chelsea71 said:

    Hi Judy,
    I'm curious about
    Hi Judy,

    I'm curious about your liver. What is the plan? Have your doctors mentioned a resection or RFA etc? My husband has liver mets. Unsure at this point as to what will be done.

    Chelsea

    Hi Chelsea,
    When I started

    Hi Chelsea,

    When I started tx, where the cancer in the liver is from the colon, the tx for the colon cancer should also be shrinking the colon cancer in the liver.

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