Colon Cancer Questions

Just from my experience in the ambulance world, I have transported 4 patients to Cleveland Clinic that were post surgery from having UC most of their lives, then developing dysplasia/colon cancer. I have been in this job for 13 years, and these patients were all in the past year. So in my mind it seems like a pretty high chance. But every one of them did say they had UC from childhood-late teens and didn't have the dysplasia until late 20's or 30's. So apparently the longer you have it, and remain inflammed without getting good control over it the higher your chances. Thats what they were told by their doctors. It makes sense though. I guess the cellular changes may come from the constant inflammation. I could be wrong. That was my take on the situation.

yup, it's the chronic inflammation that does it. My last visit with my GI we were discussing just this, & he was expressing concern because I'm going into year 7 with pretty much barely controlled UC. His take on the cancer risk is this- someone who has constant low-grade inflammation (like most of us!) are much more at risk of developing cancer than someone who has 1-2 big flares a year, then goes into a real remission. I shouldn't say it's "his take", that's pretty much the facts. So many of us here have daily symptoms, indicating chronic low-grade inflammation, despite the big gun meds we take. So, it is indeed a real risk. And colonoscopies do not always catch cancer- those "flat polyps" are hard to see, & if you have a lot of pseudo-polyps it's very easy to miss cancer. I have literally hundreds- it's basically impossible to biopsy every single one, so it'd be pretty easy to miss that one (or 5) cancerous one. I have decided it's my risk to take, I'm willing to chance it- for now. I would never hold my GI accountable if I were to develop colon cancer, regardless of colonoscopies. He's been pushing for surgery for a couple years now. I think you have to make that individual decision- is your colon worth possible dying for? Do you have many polyps or pseudopolyps? Have you exhausted the med regime & are still symptomatic? I don't plan to take this risk forever, but I'd like to hold out a few more years, maybe 'til I'm 40, prior to having surgery. Unless of course things detiorate rapidly.

me too, mbx5! I just can't mentally cope with it- sure if I had to do it, ok. But to opt for it as a preventive measure...nope. My flares are the same as yours- there's always SOMETHING going on, I see blood every day, urgency, mucous. You ought to give the biologics a try, why wait if you plan to take them eventually? They may really help.

My GI said he knows Crohn's and UC patients who are not on any meds even though they have low grade inflammation in the GI tract but have no symptoms e.g. mucous, blood, diarrhoea, urgency etc... what of those people? I guess the more severre the higher cancer risk?