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UC or Colon Cancer?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 12/18/2021 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,

I've been having trace amts of red blood w/mucous and flat stools for a few months now. Jumped through all the hoops to get scheduled for a colonoscopy in January but they can do a sigmoidoscopy next week so I started with that. Everything I read online points to colon cancer but are these two symptoms by themselves possibly UC? I have no pain, fatigue, weight loss, nausea/vomiting, etc. Just recvd blood test results and RBC/WBC counts are both at the lower end of the standard range. I feel great other than the anxiety over thinking about this. Any feedback is much appreciated!
Posted 12/18/2021 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
Also, I believe I had a prolapsing internal hemorrhoid up until a week or so ago but treated it with some OTC cream and suppositories and it's retraced now. I'm not convinced this is all related to hemorrhoids though. I can't help but think the possibility of a late stage cancer diagnosis.
Posted 12/18/2021 5:24 AM (GMT 0)
You will have to wait for the scope. Sounds like it could be hemorrhoids...UC or CD would give same symptoms. Re cancer...that's a possibility. Hopefully, the doc takes biopsies.
Do you have a GI doc?
How many bms per day...and are you having urgency?

Welcome to the forum!

q
Posted 12/18/2021 5:43 AM (GMT 0)
One BM per day, fairly normal other than being flat w/small amts blood/mucous. Referred to Gastroenterology Dept for scope by primary care doctor. I assume CD = Chron's?

Thanks.
Posted 12/18/2021 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
Yes...CD is Crohn's Disease.

q
Posted 12/19/2021 12:04 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Dude…

It could also be much ado about nothing. That’s where my money sits. You don’t have cancer. You don’t have UC. 😊. You haven’t described anything that I haven’t had many times in my lifetime.

It does need to be checked and you’re doing the right thing. Good luck on your tests and keep us posted on the results.

Welcome aboard man.
Posted 12/21/2021 9:30 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds like a lot of inflammation that needs to be addressed. Hope you are doing something about it. Don’t get over anxious and make it worse
by making your own diagnosis. If your blood work is not indicating anything at the moment , most likely it is not cancer but the IBD that needs to be controlled. I think there are blood tests your GP can run to test for cancer

Post Edited (Seeker275) : 12/21/2021 2:34:09 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/21/2021 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
I wouldn't depend on a blood test for cancer diagnosis.

q
Posted 12/21/2021 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
I know two people that had colon cancer & their lab work did not indicate colon cancer. Their cancer was found & confirmed via a colonoscopy. Good luck with your scope.
Posted 12/22/2021 5:32 PM (GMT 0)
Update: Went for sigmoidoscopy and nurse suggested Dr could go further in as long as the preparation allowed. So they went halfway, about 3 feet. Found "erythematous edematous mucosa with apthous like erosions noted from about 40-45cm" (inflammation) and biopsies were taken. Biopsies taken on the normal areas also. Dr asked if I was on any medications, including herbal ones, which I am not. Results will be read to me by Dr. in about 3 weeks. Watched the whole procedure on a big screen, no sedation and it was a piece of cake. Booked for full colonoscopy mid-January. Will do it again w/o anesthesia. I like being able to drive myself there, watch the procedure, and then leave on my own. Will update as I get more information. Thank you for the feedback.
Posted 12/22/2021 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the update...looking forward to your biopsies pathology results.

q
Posted 12/22/2021 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
Just note that a sigmoidoscopy is much different in terms of possibly needing sedation than a colonoscopy.
Posted 12/22/2021 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hopefully you get some clear answers! My husband always does his c-scopes without any sedation, I'm not sure I could.
Posted 12/22/2021 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
Agreed no sedation may not be for everyone. They only went half the full distance of my colon this time. The nurse told me she's had them w/o sedation so that's why I gave it a try. If you're anxious about it definitely go under. Good luck all.
Posted 1/12/2022 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
Nothing definitive from biopsies other than confirming small patch of chronic inflammation. GI doc ordered more blood and stool tests. Just received results of stool GI bacterial pathogen panel and it noted "SHIGA TOXIN GENES, PCR Your value = Detected, Standard = Not Detected" Not sure if this could cause inflammation of large colon but emailed doctor to ask. Everything else has come back negative/not detected so far.
Posted 1/12/2022 10:34 PM (GMT 0)
Did you get a provisional diagnosis?

I agree not everyone needs sedation for a c-scope. If you have inflammation it will be more painful though than an uninflamed colon.
Posted 1/12/2022 10:47 PM (GMT 0)
Doctor hasn't been able to diagnose yet and ordered a series of additional tests and scheduled follow up c-scope. But she didn't have stool test results I detail above and I'm wondering what she would have said about a positive result.
Posted 1/12/2022 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
Where is the patch of inflammation?

q
Posted 1/12/2022 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
40 to 45 cm
Posted 1/12/2022 11:35 PM (GMT 0)
At 40 - 45 cms would be in the sigmoid.

SHIGA TOXIN GENES, PCR Your value = Detected seems to mean a presence of an e. coli strain. However, the standard = not detected, I cant find into about that,

q
Posted 1/13/2022 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
It just means the standard is not detected but my test it was detected. I'm just wondering if a chronic e-coli infection could cause a patch of inflammation like I have.
Posted 1/13/2022 5:55 AM (GMT 0)
Aaaahhh yes...thanks!

t's possible I would think, considering stool tends to sit in the sigmoid for longer periods of time.
Your inflammation isn't UC...but could be Crohns.

When do you get the biopsies pathology results?

q
Posted 1/13/2022 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
They didn't have any definitive conclusion on the inflammation other than it had characteristics of being chronic vs acute. Right now I'm waiting on replies from two different doctors as to whether or not this could be from a chronic STEC infection since my Shiga Toxin Genes test came back positive.
Posted 1/13/2022 10:54 PM (GMT 0)
It sounds like an infection. Yeah, that can cause bleeding and inflammation.
Posted 1/14/2022 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
I’m sticking with my post on the 18th.
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