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Crohn's veterans: do you have concern about cancer?

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Posted 6/20/2008 3:36 PM (GMT 0)

MikeB said...
I recall the post yuo reference, about a year or so ago. In several years on thsi forum, as a frequent poster and diligent reader of posts, that is the only instance I can recall of anyone citing a case of intestinal cancer of any type or location as a possible result fo their Crohns diease or treatment. The bottom line is you are still a lot mmore likely to get colon cancer if you have a family history or polyps, and if you are over 50, regardless of underlying medical issues like Crohns.

MikeB:

This is very good to know.  Thank you for your information. 


Posted 6/20/2008 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
Just for the record you have about a 25% chance of cancer (as a given in your lifetime) but it usually happens when all your other risks go up too, the best thing to do is be vigilant. (depending on who you ask, but I am basing my stuff off of my buds in Forensic Pathology, but I think the NCHS says something like that as well). Plus, it is the second leading cause of death for Americans, right after heart disease. So my concern about heart disease is right up there, but in all actuallity I will probably die from being a Klutz....LOL
Or I will be out playing softball at 100 years old and get struck in the head or die from heat stroke.

I am joking around, but I do worry about cancer but not extremely so, all you can do is live every day to the best of your abilities.
Posted 6/20/2008 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
The risk of colon cancer is slightly higher if CD is affecting your colon, the longer it affects your colon the slightly higher the risk goes up each yr that the colon is being affected by crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

:)
Posted 6/21/2008 2:08 AM (GMT 0)
Well, I'm on Imuran. AND my small intestine resection was really more a "bypass", the old Eishenhower surgery where the disease loop is left in but bypassed. That increases my risk of small intestine cancer more than most crohnies, even crohnies w/"just" small intestine involvement. That caught me by surprise 'cause I'd never given cancer a thought until then. Well, other than I felt pretty smug about colon cancer due to the frequency of our colonoscopies and never having had a polyp. But not being one to worry about tomorrow until tomorrow gets here the subject quickly receded to the back of my mind. Colonoscopy before last "we" finally found one small polyp. It didn't worry me and it was sometime after the biopsy came back clear when the thought did flash briefly thru my mind that polyps are one indication for slightly more frequent colonoscopies for the general population. Ha! Like they don't have the frequency of scopes we do and even w/lots of benign polyps found their recommendation of scope frequency doesn't reach the frequency that we go thru after having Crohn's for 10-20 years. And then came the decision about an osteoporosis med and its black box warning. After reading thru the research trials, etc. I opted to go w/it. That's the last I thought of cancer in regard to that. Life's just too darn short and too darn busy to be worrying about what MIGHT be as compared to the quality of today and the near future.
Posted 6/21/2008 2:41 AM (GMT 0)
I do worry about cancer but I remind myself constantly that the odds of other cancers are small (even if greater than the general population for bowel cancer and lymphoma)....As many have said, though, we are certainly closely monitored with scopes / CT scans / etc so if something comes up, hopefully we'll catch it early enough to increase the chances of getting cured (as was my experience already with a small kidney tumor..)
Posted 6/21/2008 4:30 AM (GMT 0)
Nope, I never even think about it. Cancer runs in everyone's family and is so common these days that we simply can't sit and worry about something we have relatively little control over. The Crohns connection is not a huge increase in risk from the average person anyways.

In actuality, I have labs and tests done so often that if I were to develop it, we'd likely catch it much sooner than the average person and have a greater chance of treating it successfully.
Posted 6/21/2008 6:03 AM (GMT 0)
I try not to worry about it. Cancer seems to get everyone somewhere at some point anyway. Just one of those things, that until they find a cure, it going to be a risk to all of us (even without Crohn's). So, I guess I like to think there is no point in worrying about something that may or may not happen. Just gotta get tested when needed, and look for all the warning signs. Not much else we can do, worrying is bad for us too!
Posted 6/23/2008 6:42 PM (GMT 0)

Hi dunny2,

After reading your post about you getting pancreatitis after being on 6mp, I'm a bit concerned again about starting the medication!  How long did you take 6mp; and did you get blood work done before ever starting it to make sure that your body had the proper enzymes to process it?

Would greatly appreciate a reply.  Thanks.

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