Question about spread of colon cancer
An_242105 posted:
Recent diagnosis on colonosopy (previous one 13 years ago)of 2 polyps. One on a stalk 4mm in size was ok. One sessile about 1cm in size that pathologist says was cancerous(well differentiated??) that extended down to the inside layer of the colon.
I have a couple questions. has anyone ever had a second opinion of a biopsy and gotten different results? This same pathologist years ago had given me an incorrect diagnosis. I am contemplating sending the slides to a larger hospital and getting a second opinion. I wondered if anyone has done this and ever gotten different results.
Hematocrit was a little low from some occasional bleeding(hemorrohoids i thought). Every other blood test has come out normal including liver enzymes, kidney function etc. CEA blood test results the other day was less than 0.5. this test was done 24 hours after a ct scan which i understand can elevate it. I have since read that cea tests aren't very accurate so perhaps pointless.
CT scan results. Enlarged adrenal gland on left kidney which it is my understanding is very very rarely malignant. No lymph gland elargement evident. The liver showed some small areas that were not as clear(darker) as the other parts(forget the exact working).
the surgeon says that he feels because of the location, left side, and not large size of polyp that it is stage 1. he also said they cant tell until removal of that piece of colon, which I am willing to get done. the liver areas could just be cysts, fatty deposits etc according to him and seen commonly. . Recommend an MRI next althought I have read that a PET scan is mych more definitive.
My questions are: has anyone ever had a different biopsy result from a second opinion?
Does 1cm seem large for a sessile polyp?
Does the cancer have to go through the lymph nodes to the liver. I would think the nodes should show enlargement if the liver was involved. Grasping at straws here.
I am willing to have the surgery if no other organs involved but if it has spread I will probably think twice. Is PET scan more definitive than an MRI?
This diagnosis is a complete shock and very hard to get my head around so to speak. The courage of the people on this discussion group totaly amazes me.Thanks for your time.
I have a couple questions. has anyone ever had a second opinion of a biopsy and gotten different results? This same pathologist years ago had given me an incorrect diagnosis. I am contemplating sending the slides to a larger hospital and getting a second opinion. I wondered if anyone has done this and ever gotten different results.
Hematocrit was a little low from some occasional bleeding(hemorrohoids i thought). Every other blood test has come out normal including liver enzymes, kidney function etc. CEA blood test results the other day was less than 0.5. this test was done 24 hours after a ct scan which i understand can elevate it. I have since read that cea tests aren't very accurate so perhaps pointless.
CT scan results. Enlarged adrenal gland on left kidney which it is my understanding is very very rarely malignant. No lymph gland elargement evident. The liver showed some small areas that were not as clear(darker) as the other parts(forget the exact working).
the surgeon says that he feels because of the location, left side, and not large size of polyp that it is stage 1. he also said they cant tell until removal of that piece of colon, which I am willing to get done. the liver areas could just be cysts, fatty deposits etc according to him and seen commonly. . Recommend an MRI next althought I have read that a PET scan is mych more definitive.
My questions are: has anyone ever had a different biopsy result from a second opinion?
Does 1cm seem large for a sessile polyp?
Does the cancer have to go through the lymph nodes to the liver. I would think the nodes should show enlargement if the liver was involved. Grasping at straws here.
I am willing to have the surgery if no other organs involved but if it has spread I will probably think twice. Is PET scan more definitive than an MRI?
This diagnosis is a complete shock and very hard to get my head around so to speak. The courage of the people on this discussion group totaly amazes me.Thanks for your time.
1 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:Question about spread of colon cancerRecent diagnosis on colonosopy (previous one 13 years ago)of 2 polyps. One on a stalk 4mm in size was ok. One sessile about 1cm in size that pathologist says was cancerous(well differentiated??) that extended down to the inside layer of the colon. <br />I have a couple questions. has anyone ever had a second opinion of a biopsy and gotten different results? This same pathologist years ago had given me an incorrect diagnosis. I am contemplating sending the slides to a larger hospital and getting a second opinion. I wondered if anyone has done this and ever gotten different results.<br /> <br />Hematocrit was a little low from some occasional bleeding(hemorrohoids i thought). Every other blood test has come out normal including liver enzymes, kidney function etc. CEA blood test results the other day was less than 0.5. this test was done 24 hours after a ct scan which i understand can elevate it. I have since read that cea tests aren't very accurate so perhaps pointless.<br /> <br />CT scan results. Enlarged adrenal gland on left kidney which it is my understanding is very very rarely malignant. No lymph gland elargement evident. The liver showed some small areas that were not as clear(darker) as the other parts(forget the exact working).<br /> <br />the surgeon says that he feels because of the location, left side, and not large size of polyp that it is stage 1. he also said they cant tell until removal of that piece of colon, which I am willing to get done. the liver areas could just be cysts, fatty deposits etc according to him and seen commonly. . Recommend an MRI next althought I have read that a PET scan is mych more definitive. <br /> <br />My questions are: has anyone ever had a different biopsy result from a second opinion?<br />Does 1cm seem large for a sessile polyp?<br />Does the cancer have to go through the lymph nodes to the liver. I would think the nodes should show enlargement if the liver was involved. Grasping at straws here. <br />I am willing to have the surgery if no other organs involved but if it has spread I will probably think twice. Is PET scan more definitive than an MRI?<br /> <br />This diagnosis is a complete shock and very hard to get my head around so to speak. The courage of the people on this discussion group totaly amazes me.Thanks for your time.
Angelskye responded:
Getting a diagnosis of cancer can definitely be a shock. My husband was diagnosed with stage IIIb colorectal cancer about a little over a year ago. He was pronounced cancer-free about six months ago and will go for his next check-up in the next couple of weeks. One thing that we've learned through the whole process is that it is never a bad idea to ask for a second opinion. There's so much information out there that we never would have gotten had we not asked for the second opinion and it's something that our doctors encouraged, also. If nothing else, it educated us about the types of questions we needed to ask. The most important part of my husband's treatment was us having confidence in his treatment team; without it, the whole process would have been even that much more difficult. Getting those second opinions provided comfort that the direction and feedback we were getting was the most accurate. Hope this helps!
Report This| Share this:Question about spread of colon cancerGetting a diagnosis of cancer can definitely be a shock. My husband was diagnosed with stage IIIb colorectal cancer about a little over a year ago. He was pronounced cancer-free about six months ago and will go for his next check-up in the next couple of weeks. One thing that we've learned through the whole process is that it is never a bad idea to ask for a second opinion. There's so much information out there that we never would have gotten had we not asked for the second opinion and it's something that our doctors encouraged, also. If nothing else, it educated us about the types of questions we needed to ask. The most important part of my husband's treatment was us having confidence in his treatment team; without it, the whole process would have been even that much more difficult. Getting those second opinions provided comfort that the direction and feedback we were getting was the most accurate. Hope this helps!
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