Diverticulosis on colonoscopy?

[pantufla]

This was not seen on DH's last colonoscopy at the time of diagnosis. Does anyone have any insight on this? Could chemo have caused it? Otherwise, his colonoscopy was normal.

[LPL]

Hi Pantufla,

Diverticulosis was noted on a CT-scan my hubby had 4 years before he was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. No doctor cared or mentioned doing anything about it and hubby had no symptoms. That CT-scan was done to check a previous kidney problem. However his cancer tumor developed in that same area... was that a coincidence?
Maybe this article can give some info to you?
http://patients.gi.org/topics/diverticu ... ticulitis/
That article says it is common and is not mentioning that it can be caused by chemo. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will reply.
Good to hear that apart from this, the colonoscopy was fine
Kind Regards /LPL

[pantufla]

Thank you LPL

[Pathfindergrl28]

I am 36/f. I was diagnosed with a benign tubulovillous adenoma and diverticulosis during my colonoscopy in 2014. My GI doctor said diverticulosis was a benign condition. He said they are "saclike protrusions that resemble a pocket or outpouching of the colon," and basically an incidental finding. My aunt who recently passed away (from heart problems) had diverticulitis and never developed colon cancer... I am due for a second colonoscopy next month, I'll let you know how it goes...

[ABMom]

My mother has diverticulitis. It can be very painful when you have a flair but, otherwise, her doctor's don't seem concerned. She did have to make some modifications to her eating (no seeds, no nuts, etc.). Basically, she avoids foods that could end up landing in the pockets because if they get stuck there - it causes a lot of pain and spasms. She can feel it coming on now and gets on top of medication right away. She gets flairs when she gets slopping on her eating and lets some of the things she shouldn't in.

[Nik Colon]

I was lucky to actually get diverticulitis, if not, I may have not found my cancer. Anyway, I don't think cancer itself would cause this. Diverticulosis is caused by weak areas in the colon which cause pockets to form and then collect feces, etc. I believe having issues like constipation and such can add to it, so in theory, if chemo or other things cause constipation or such, it could contribute to getting Diverticulosis. Many people have it but don't know until it gets infected (diverticulitis). Best thing is to try to prevent it by trying to avoid constipation. From what I know and Jmo. My mom had diverticulitis many yrs ago and now does everything to prevent it and hasn't had it since, but the pockets remain. Mine were removed during my colon resection

[dianetavegia]

Most people over 50 have this. Actually, our 45 year old son who has Celiac has the pouches. It's thought to be from weak places in the intestines, possibly from chronic constipation. They mentioned mine 8 years ago and I've never had diverticulitis.

NOTE: The Mayo Clinic has released a report that says seeds and nuts have NEVER BEEN FOUND/ REPORTED by a surgeon who did surgery for diverticulitis (the infection). Another report shows that men who eat popcorn twice a week have less flairs that men who avoid roughage and seeds. The diet has been 'withdrawn'. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/diverticulitis-diet/faq-20058293

[Nik Colon]

Most people over 50 have this. Actually, our 45 year old son who has Celiac has the pouches. It's thought to be from weak places in the intestines, possibly from chronic constipation. They mentioned mine 8 years ago and I've never had diverticulitis.

NOTE: The Mayo Clinic has released a report that says seeds and nuts have NEVER BEEN FOUND/ REPORTED by a surgeon who did surgery for diverticulitis (the infection). Another report shows that men who eat popcorn twice a week have less flairs that men who avoid roughage and seeds. The diet has been 'withdrawn'. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/diverticulitis-diet/faq-20058293

Many yrs ago my mom was told to avoid those things and I told her that info is outdated but she still does, she does take fiber daily still. I will send her this link, but I doubt it will change her mind as she is dead set on it

[ABMom]

Most people over 50 have this. Actually, our 45 year old son who has Celiac has the pouches. It's thought to be from weak places in the intestines, possibly from chronic constipation. They mentioned mine 8 years ago and I've never had diverticulitis.

NOTE: The Mayo Clinic has released a report that says seeds and nuts have NEVER BEEN FOUND/ REPORTED by a surgeon who did surgery for diverticulitis (the infection). Another report shows that men who eat popcorn twice a week have less flairs that men who avoid roughage and seeds. The diet has been 'withdrawn'. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/diverticulitis-diet/faq-20058293

Many yrs ago my mom was told to avoid those things and I told her that info is outdated but she still does, she does take fiber daily still. I will send her this link, but I doubt it will change her mind as she is dead set on it

LOL! I sent this link to my mother as well but she swears diet makes a difference and doesn't plan to make any changes either.

[dianetavegia]

My mother is 84 and she's the one who told me. I didn't believe her so did my own web search. She'd heard it in the beauty shop. LOL

[pantufla]

The thing that bothers me is if it has been there all along, why didn't the surgeon cut it out? It's in the left colon where the cancer was. If it was there, did he not see it? If it wasn't there, why would it appear only 1 year out from surgery. It's just weird to me. It's little things like this that bug me. I guess it will remain a mystery.

[LPL]

Pantufla wrote:
" The thing that bothers me is if it has been there all along, why didn't the surgeon cut it out? It's in the left colon where the cancer was. If it was there, did he not see it? If it wasn't there, why would it appear only 1 year out from surgery. It's just weird to me. It's little things like this that bug me. I guess it will remain a mystery."

From the article I posted before
http://patients.gi.org/topics/diverticu ... ticulitis/
"Most patients with diverticulosis have no symptoms or complications, and will never know they have the condition unless it is discovered during an endoscopic or radiographic (X-ray) examination. ... "
" Diverticulosis is generally discovered through one of the following examinations: Barium enema ... Colonoscopy... CT scan..."
"While diverticula can be present anywhere in the intestines, they are most common on the left side of the large intestine, the area known as the descending and sigmoid colon."
"Once diverticula have formed, they do not go away."

Pantufla,
I presume your DH had a colonoscopy and/or CT Scan before surgery. Maybe the diverticulosis was there but was not noted? or seen? Does it depend on who is looking and signing the testresult?
That must have been the case for my hubby because after his 1st CT (where the diverticulosis was first noted) he has had 3-4 more CTs and this diverticulosis is Not mentioned every time!
Since the article said: "Once diverticula have formed, they do not go away." it must have been there at every CT.

You wonder why the surgeon did not cut it out?
Note - This is just ME (not a professional) thinking out loud:
If we presume it was there and he saw it. Maybe he did not want to resect too much of the colon and since, from above "Most patients with diverticulosis have no symptoms or complications " so maybe it is better to keep that part of the colon even if it includes diverticulosis? Maybe leaving that part gives less problem with BM function since the sigmoideum (most common place for diverticulosis to be found) is an important part of the colon for storing..
" Sigmoid colon, a terminal section of the large intestine that connects the descending colon to the rectum; its function is to store fecal wastes until they are ready to leave the body. ... Fecal material can be stored in the sigmoid colon for seven hours or more and is usually expelled when new waste material requires entry into this region."
This last quote comes from https://global.britannica.com/science/sigmoid-colon

Kind Regards /LPL

[pantufla]

I got a chance to ask the doctor about this. He said you cannot see diverticulosis during surgery, only on the colonoscopy. So, that's why he didn't cut it out. It must have been there all along. Just another thing that caused me to worry for no reason.

[Thetoad]

Hi. Just adding my bit. My follow up (and only) colonoscopy a year after surgery, showed several pockets. They have been there for some time it seems but are not considered a problem. The tumour they removed was some distance away and nobody has ever suggested that the spots had any relevance to the cancer. Best wishes.

[mypinkheaven]

I got a chance to ask the doctor about this. He said you cannot see diverticulosis during surgery, only on the colonoscopy. So, that's why he didn't cut it out. It must have been there all along. Just another thing that caused me to worry for no reason.

I bet it's the gas used during a colonoscopy that makes the diverticulosis pockets "pop open" so they can be seen.