Ct scan vs colonoscopy

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Petit83
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:09 pm
Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Ct scan vs colonoscopy

Postby Petit83 » Tue Jan 23, 2018 12:49 pm

I’ve been feeling a pulling sensation in my left side of
my abdomen when I lie down on my right side. It is not painful just very uncomfortable. The doctor wants to do a ct scan (mom died of colon cancer) but I’m unease about radiation and that the ct Scan would missed some tiny polyps (?). Should I go first for colonoscopy? What is most effective? He is leaving it up to me. Thanks for your comments.
Mom 62 dx IV - 10/13 multiple liver mets
Folfox + Avastin 12 cycles 06/14- tumors dead/ shrinkage!
5fu+ Avastin 2 rounds 08/14 - 09/14 - one single tumor growth
Folfiri 09/14
10/14 HAI pump- Tumors Shrinking
03/15 brain surgery 1 met SRS
11/15 brain scan clear after 2nd SRS. Liver mets shirnking
02/16 5 new brain mets. Liver growth

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Robino1
Posts: 463
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 12:09 pm
Facebook Username: Robin.lawthers
Location: Florida

Re: Ct scan vs colonoscopy

Postby Robino1 » Tue Jan 23, 2018 1:09 pm

For inside the colon, a colonoscopy. If outside the colon, CT or PET scan.

I would do the colonoscopy first. CT won't show what's going on inside the colon.
At 54 2014 1st colonoscopy colon cancer detect
Colon resect margins clear. No chemo Stage II
2017
Distend abd, pain in intestines.
CT scan seeding & Ascites
Lap diag - cancer on the omentum
CEA 217; 219
FOLFOX started 6/17
CEA 202
8/29/17 CT melting of tumor.
Latest CT scan shows 2 new tumors and return of ascites.
CEA: (2017)9/30 -109; 10/12 -99.1; 11/4 -90.7; 11/30 -70.7; 12/14 -83.4; (2018)1/4 -73.3; 2/1-84.2; 89.2; 89.8; 88.5; 81.8: 93.5; 107; 119
BRAF V600e

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O Stoma Mia
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Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:29 am
Location: On vacation. Off-line for now.

Re: Ct scan vs colonoscopy

Postby O Stoma Mia » Tue Jan 23, 2018 10:12 pm

I think that colonoscopy is generally considered the gold standard when it comes to colorectal cancer screening. With colonoscopy they can remove polyps when they are detected, but with CT scan they cannot remove polyps.

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CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Ct scan vs colonoscopy

Postby CRguy » Tue Jan 23, 2018 10:38 pm

I will be the contrarian here, having been a vet for a buncha' years ... and our patients can't tell us what's wrong ...
SO we have to go looking AND y'all know how I feel about LOOKING ! :shock: :mrgreen:
" You will miss more for not LOOKING ... than not knowing. ! "

Your Doc is correct to go top down in the initial diagnostics : get as much info at the start and THEN refine the scope of diagnostics as the results fit the patient's presentation.

I know we are a CRC forum and we all want to encourage everyone to have c-scopes .... BUTT as both a clinician and Stage IV CRC survivor myself, IF I were in your place with your presentation right now, I would get the contrast abdominal CT first AND the c-scope as indicated later.

The biggest mistake docs and patients make is assuming the diagnosis and getting a test to confirm or prove it.
The best diagnosticians I know always get the big picture first and refine the diagnosis along the way... getting to the correct diagnosis because they have not left anything out along the way.
JMO

At last count I'd had 18 full C-A-P CTs with contrast = BTDT and I still don't glow in the dark

Best wishes whatever you decide
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

Petit83
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:09 pm
Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Re: Ct scan vs colonoscopy

Postby Petit83 » Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:33 pm

Thank you all for your ingsights and got me thinking. The first resistance I got for ct scan is radiation to my reproductive parts since we want to have more children. I’m 35 and would like one more, but at the same time, if I do have something going on I have two little ones that need me. So I don’t mind the radiation part as much anymore. I had my appointment today and I mentioned that sometimes my left leg falls asleep at nights when I lied down on my left, like something is pinching a nerve. It might not be related but I left him thinking and he said the is certain that he want to do a Ct- scan now and then a colonoscopy. So he didn’t leave up to me this last follow up apoyo. So I’ll yell you how things go. Thank you for your support!!
Mom 62 dx IV - 10/13 multiple liver mets
Folfox + Avastin 12 cycles 06/14- tumors dead/ shrinkage!
5fu+ Avastin 2 rounds 08/14 - 09/14 - one single tumor growth
Folfiri 09/14
10/14 HAI pump- Tumors Shrinking
03/15 brain surgery 1 met SRS
11/15 brain scan clear after 2nd SRS. Liver mets shirnking
02/16 5 new brain mets. Liver growth

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O Stoma Mia
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Joined: Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:29 am
Location: On vacation. Off-line for now.

Colonoscopy vs. virtual colonoscopy

Postby O Stoma Mia » Thu Jan 25, 2018 1:02 am


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LeonW
Posts: 358
Joined: Sun May 03, 2015 4:59 pm
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Re: Ct scan vs colonoscopy

Postby LeonW » Thu Jan 25, 2018 10:17 am

O Stoma Mia wrote: Colonoscopy vs. virtual colonoscopy (link)

Where the pros and cons are discussed the linked article says:
If you’re leaning toward a virtual colonoscopy so you can avoid the colon-cleansing prep, think again. Both tests require a clean colon. That means you can only have clear liquids the day before the test, and you will have to take lots of laxative solution.

For all of us who hate the preps, some good news:
My last few CT scans were without any specific colon-cleansing prep. The only requirement was to take no food (or smoke) during the 2-hours before the scan, except for some (3 glasses of) water or a little sugarless tea. They introduced this upon replacing all scanners.
Dec 2012 - CC 2 unresect liver mets, CEA 41.8 (MM 65yrs)
Jan 2013 - colectomy @ spleen 2/26 nodes IVa T3N1bM1a
Feb-Jul - 1x Xelox-7x Xelox/Avastin, shrinkage from #3
Aug - 2x PV embolization (both failed)
Sep 2013 - R liver resect, 25d hosp (liver failure/delirium, lung emboli, encephalopathy), no living cancer (pCR)
2014/15 - recovery, scopy: 2 polyps
2016 - new town/life
2018, scopy: 2 polyps
2018/20 low (1.0-1.4) CEAs/clean CTs: 4x2014, 6x2015-17, 3x2018-20
next June 2021!

e_enyedy
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Nov 25, 2017 5:28 pm

Re: Ct scan vs colonoscopy

Postby e_enyedy » Sun Jan 28, 2018 10:46 am

colonoscopy: checks the insides of the colon
scans:
cat scan: it is like a map- finds where the tumors (or irregularities) are located and how big they are
pet scan: (speaking of cancer only) will show how active you cancer cells are -that is where we all hope for no activity.

Personally, I would do a colonoscopy (absolutely painless) then the cat scan.

all the best

E
77 yrs male (73 at Dx)
2/13 Dx Carcinoma, Sigmoid Colon
3/13 Sigmoid Colon Hemicolectomy,( 12"+)
3/13 Pathology Staging: T1N0M0; no follow-up chemo
5/15 Recurrence: in pre-sacral space -no other mets detected (Instantly became Stage IV)
5/15 Started 8 sessions of Folfox + Avastin
11/15 Finished chemo, PET/CT: NED
11/15 Started Xeloda+ Avastin every 3 weeks. Still Doing it.
Still NED -(Hope treatment keeps working)


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