Have a question I'm hoping you all can help me with.

I would take the results of a blood test that shows Crohn's and say "huh." Then I'd schedule a scope. The only way to truly diagnose any inflammatory bowel disease is by biopsies taken during a scope.

Having Crohn's would kind of explain the other issues in your signature.

My specialist was telling me about the blood test when letting me decide whether I wanted a second colonoscopy for an answer or to wait and see...He said it is a lot of money without definitive answers.

2-3 loose stools a day means diarrhea and it's the main symptom of CD... That's exactly how i came to noe i had Crohn's.. As the others pointed out, best way to a definitive conclusion is a colonoscopy....
All the best :)

Kazbern, No, I'm not on anything for the cholesterol and triglycerides at this point. I've been trying to avoid the statin drugs at all cost if possible. My cardiologist doesn't really care for statin drugs for people who have no heart conditions. I'm going to ask my doc to give me 3 months since I've stopped taking the Lexapro, to see if I can get some of this weight off and then look at the numbers again after that. I'd rather try diet and exercise first, since there was nothing happening in that department while on the SSRI, no matter how hard I tried. If it's no better at that point, then I guess I have no choice.

I'm still new to all of this stuff with Crohn's, but I have heard that it raises the risk of blood clots, so I don't want to take any chances with high cholesterol & triglycerides. I am currently doing research and trying to learn everything I can about this disease. The one thing that totally freaks me out is the increased risk of colon cancer!

Being a person with anxiety and panic disorders, this is really not good for my nerves. LOL! I'm trying to accept it, and I'm trying to learn all I can about it.

Does anyone here know what the percentage risk is of colon cancer in people with Crohn's? I'd really like to think that it is rare, but haven't been able to find this info anywhere.

Take care!
Fox

Fox7 said...
Does anyone here know what the percentage risk is of colon cancer in people with Crohn's? I'd really like to think that it is rare, but haven't been able to find this info anywhere.

Colon cancer has been more studied in Ulcerative Colitis than in Crohn's, but for Crohn's colitis the risk is probably about the same. For future reference, colits means inflammation of the colon; pancolitis means inflammation of the whole colon, not just a part of it. Whether you have UC or Crohn's, the highest cancer risk factor by far is having pancolitis.

The lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer for everyone is estimated at 1 in 20 (or 5%):www.cancer.org/cancer/colonandrectumcancer/detailedguide/colorectal-cancer-key-statistics

For people with pancolitis, there is no increased risk of CRC for the first 8-10 years. After that the cumulative risk of getting CRC rises by a few % with each decade; at 30 years it's 12-20%. But since nobody understands statistics (including me; I need to take a crash course in this shizzle), here's a few excerpts from studies instead:

To provide accurate estimates of the risk of colorectal cancer among patients with ulcerative colitis, we studied a population-based cohort of 3117 patients given a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis from 1922 through 1983 who were followed up through 1984. Ninety-two cases of colorectal cancer occurred in 91 patients.

~~~

In a review of 1248 cases of ulcerative colitis seen at the Cleveland Clinic that were followed up to 1984 (mean, 14.4 years), 82 patients (6.5%) were subsequently found to have colorectal cancer and 48 (3.8%) had extracolonic malignancy, 6 of them with associated colorectal cancer. Most patients with colorectal cancer were men (2:1), and had extensive (90%) and long-lasting colitis (10 years or more in 93% of cases; mean 18 years).

~~~

During the 22 year period from the beginning of 1966 to the end of 1987, 401 patients [with extensive UC] entered the programme and together contributed 4048 patient-years of observation. Apart from nine patients who left the country, follow up is complete until 1986 or 1987. Colorectal carcinoma developed in 22 patients and, in a further 12, biopsy evidence of precancer, described as severe/high grade dysplasia, was confirmed in a colectomy specimen.

~~~

Links to all these studies can be found in this rather dense article on colorectal cancer surveillance and IBD: www.uptodate.com/contents/colorectal-cancer-surveillance-in-inflammatory-bowel-disease

Long-term use of 5-ASAs are thought to have a preventative effect against colorectal cancer. 5-ASAs are the mildest class of meds for IBD: if you get diagnosed, you'll probably be put on one. One very good reason for staying on your meds, even if you go into remission.

Anyway, I have probably posted far more than you actually want to know, but I hope this helps soothe your fears about colorectal cancer.

Edit: Yeah, whatever gumby posted. I'm sure it's a lot more readable :p

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 12/17/2013 6:56:18 PM (GMT-7)

Glad to have helped! :p

Yeah, it is a hell of a learning curve. I was diagnosed in 2000, when there was no Google to tell me that every single symptom under the sun was cancer. There's good and bad to be said for that; on the one hand, I was pretty much entirely free from anxiety about having Crohn's, since I knew nothing about it. On the other hand, I was ill-prepared for what was to come. I think on balance I'd rather have been informed from the beginning, though.

Couldn't agree more with Gumby about not worrying about the "what ifs": it's bad enough worrying about what you do have!

This was covered in the earlier posts, but yes, Crohn's cannot be diagnosed by a blood test. If it's the Prometheus test, I would do exactly as kazbern said; nod politely then go promptly schedule a colonoscopy. From everything I've read about it, it really is quite an unreliable test. I'd personally set more store by faecal calprotectin, which tests the stool for a protein known as calprotectin. FC is used mostly as a diagnostic tool to filter out people with (highly likely) IBS and avoid sending them for a colonsocopy. But it can also be used in people who already have an IBD diagnosis to monitor their approximate progress.

However, even if you had a positive FC result tomorrow, you still would have to have GI investigations to determine the source of intestinal inflammation. In other words, clinical evidence trumps any blood or stool test: if you have a doctor who has run blood tests, but not a colonoscopy and/or small bowel follow through, capsule endoscopy (pillcam), or MRI/CT scan, I genuinely would recommend finding a new doctor.

i was told I had IBS for 4 years, then I got really ill in Feb, It took 5 months before I was diagnosed with crohns because the blood tests said I didn't have it, I had to wait until I had a camera test and biopsies. if you don't have any symptoms I can't see how you would have it, its a pretty severe illness.
----------------------------------------------------------
Diagnosed July 2013, possibly since 2009
budesonide 6mg
ustekinumab in clinical trail
6mp 25mg
folic acid
calcium carbonate

Well, I went to the doc on Thursday and she gave me a copy of my blood work results along with a referral for a Gastroenterologist. She said to take them with me when I go there so they can see them.

Now, I have no idea what ASCA is, but it said positive for Crohn's.

Here's what the actual report says:

S CEREVISIAE AB (IGA): Result: 37.7
Ref. Range: Negative: <=20.0 Equivocal: 20.1 - 24.9 Positive: >=25.0

S CEREVISAIE AB (IGG) Results: 33.7
Ref. Range: Negative: <=20.0 Equivocal: 20.1 - 29.9 Positive: >=30.0

So I have to call the Gastro doc on Monday to schedule an appointment, so I can get a positive diagnosis through the scopes.

That's all I have so far, and so the journey begins......