Low HCT & HBC

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Kay1982
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 2:54 pm

Low HCT & HBC

Postby Kay1982 » Fri Sep 22, 2017 10:15 pm

Hi everyone. I had labs and my HBC and HCT both are low. These are both indicators of anemia and colon cancer. I am scared out of my mind, as I have had blood in my stool. I see a gastro physician next week. Anyone have anything to share, add or any words of encouragement?

Achilles Torn
Posts: 141
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2016 2:41 pm

Re: Low HCT & HBC

Postby Achilles Torn » Fri Sep 22, 2017 10:24 pm

At this point you are absolutely right to get it checked out ASAP and push until you find the cause....But it is still far more likely NOT to be cancer.

Not only is this based on scientific/medical probability but this message board has many posts like yours and most of those people didn't end up reporting back that they had cancer.

Get a colonoscopy, get whatever tests you need to get to the bottom of it, but If I had to bet....I would bet against you having cancer.

I hope that helps

AT
Diagnosed as 40 yo Male. BC Canada. Sigmoid Colectomy Dec. 2016
Pathology T3N2bM1 19 of 24 Nodes Positive + tumour deposits
PET scan - Para-Aortic and Iliac Lymph node spread. Stage VI.
Moderately differentiated. MSS. KRAS/BRAF Wild.
Mutations: TP53, ERBB4, MLL3, PDCD1LG2, PRKDC, SMAD3
FOLFOX + Bevacizumab Commenced Jan 9/2017 PET Scan July 2017 - on maintenance 5FU/Bev every 2 weeks.
Progression after Covid19 induced break June 2020. Resume Maintenance chemo of Capecitabine and Bev

Kay1982
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 2:54 pm

Re: Low HCT & HBC

Postby Kay1982 » Sat Sep 23, 2017 12:50 am

Hi AT thank you for your reply. Thank you for not diagnosing me but encouraging me. I will for sure follow up with the gastro and get to the bottom of all of this. Sending extra prayers your way. God bless you.

User avatar
JJH
Posts: 408
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:26 am

Re: Low HCT & HBC

Postby JJH » Sat Sep 23, 2017 2:20 am

Kay1982 wrote:...I see a gastro physician next week. Anyone have anything to share, add or any words of encouragement?

If you are going to have a colonoscopy, there are several quality indicators to pay particular attention to.

1. The doctor's ADR - This is the Adenoma Detection Rate -- i.e. the average number of precancerous polyps found per procedure that he/she has performed in the past. This is a measure of the thoroughness of the doctor's method.

2. Withdrawal rate - This is the doctor's average speed at which the colonoscope is withdrawn once it has reached the far end of the colon (the caecum). This, too, is a measure of thoroughness. It should be at least six minutes to allow time to inspect the whole colon while the colonoscope is being withdrawn.

3. Caecal valve photo - The colonoscopy report should have a photo of your caecal valve to prove that the colonoscope went all the way to the end of the colon during your colonoscopy.

All of the above are standard quality measures and a doctor should be able to tell you what his/her averages are and to be able to give you a photo of your caecal valve after the procedure.

These measures are discussed in the article below:

10 Important Questions to Help You Get a Quality Colonoscopy
http://stopcoloncancernow.com/colon-cancer-prevention/adenoma-detection-rate/adenoma-detection-rate

Colonoscopy prep post
http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=53348&p=422050#p422050

Colonoscopy prep solutions
http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=58394&p=460250#p460250
Last edited by JJH on Sat Sep 23, 2017 2:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"The darkest hour is just before the dawn" - Thomas Fuller (1650)
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DarknessEmbraced
Posts: 3816
Joined: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:54 pm
Facebook Username: Riann Fletcher
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: Low HCT & HBC

Postby DarknessEmbraced » Sat Sep 23, 2017 11:00 am

I'm sorry you're going through this and am glad you're seeing a GI! I hope you will be able to get a colonoscopy and have answers soon.*hugs*
Diagnosed 10/28/14, age 36
Colon Resection 11/20/14, LAR (no illeo)
Stage 2a colon cancer, T3NOMO
Lymph-vascular invasion undetermined
0/22 lymph nodes
No chemo, no radiation
Clear Colonoscopy 04/29/15
NED 10/20/15
Ischemic Colitis 01/21/16
NED 11/10/16
CT Scan moved up due to high CEA 08/21/17
NED 09/25/17
NED 12/21/18
Clear colonoscopy 09/23/19
Clear 5 year scans 11/21/19- Considered cured! :)

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Low HCT & HBC

Postby Lee » Sat Sep 23, 2017 3:34 pm

For what it is worth, I was not anemic, my blood work was fine. No blood found in my stools My only symptom was my bleeding hemorrhoids, my PCP figured those hemorrhoids were my excuse for getting my baseline early in life.

Many years prior, my mother ended up in the ER with serious stomach pain and rectal bleeding. They suspected colon cancer. Colonoscopy proved that wrong. No cancer, not even a polyp, just a bad case of diverticulitis.

Because you are concerned, get that colonoscopy. It will give a true diagnoses, if something is going on, anything else is just a speculation.

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

Kay1982
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 2:54 pm

Re: Low HCT & HBC

Postby Kay1982 » Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:24 pm

Lee, thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate your experience amd feed back. I just had gallbladder surgery like 3 days ago so every pain and labs result is freaking me out. I have a gastro appt set up for this coming week. Again, Thank you.

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Low HCT & HBC

Postby Lee » Sat Sep 23, 2017 5:40 pm

Who gave you the results of your blood work? Did this person offer any advice? Because you are anemic, you do want to find the cause, butt truly it could be caused by a number of different things, cancer is just one possibility.

Because you've had surgery recently, yes I'm sure you have pain from that. Any chance your gallbladder could be the cause of your anemia and low blood counts?

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

Kay1982
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 2:54 pm

Re: Low HCT & HBC

Postby Kay1982 » Sat Sep 23, 2017 9:45 pm

Lee, I am not sure what could be the reason for the anemia. I just know I ended up in the ER with severe stomach pain and an ultrasound showed a gallstone stuck in the neck of my bile duct so I was admitted and given antibiotics and removal the next day. The ER Dr. never gave me any results I seen my labs on the portal after I got home. I mean I feel fine except the recovery of tue gallbladder but in the past I have had blood in my stool and some constipation.


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