Thursday, March 20, 2008

My moms doctor says that colon cancer can not metasize to the brain without affecting the liver.Is that true

My moms doctor says that colon cancer can not metasize to the brain without affecting the liver.Is that true?
Two months after a colectomy,my mom recently had a brain scan which showed 2 nodules in the left parietal lobe.The doctors have ruled out TB and toxoplasmosis.Her doctor says that colon cancer can not spread to her brain without affecting the liver.Is that True?
Cancer - 2 Answers
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1 :
First of all, good luck to you and your mother in what must be a very difficult time. Your mothers' doctor was correct. The way cancer spreads is that cancerous cells break off from the main tumor and spread via the bloodstream. The entirety of your blood volume is filtered through your liver before returning to the rest of the body; therefore, it is virtually impossible for foreign matter such as cancerous cells to pass through the liver without being trapped. I hope this clarifies things for you. To Denisedd: To be sure, where serious health conditions such as this are involved a second opinion is always a good idea, and you make a good point that cancer certainly is an unpredictable disease. In trying to simplify things for the poster, I evidently left out too much information. GENERALLY SPEAKING you are correct... cancer does not ALWAYS met. to the liver. Things such as type of cancer, blood flow/routes to the involved region, co morbidity, and other factors come into play which can cause other organs to be involved while leaving the liver relatively intact.... but the doctor said "affect the liver", not "met. to the liver" it is perfectly reasonable to expect some affect on the liver, even if it does not actually become cancerous.... if half the circulation through the liver is cut off by sloughed off cells, that would certainly be enough to "affect" the liver, don't you think? ...although I suppose a better choice of words would have been "it is highly unlikely that colon cancer would..." as opposed to "colon cancer can not..." At any rate, the doctor has access to her chart and the weeks, months, or year's worth of information contained therein... and all we have to go on is a single paragraph. It's actually a bit presumptuous for us to say one way or another whether he's right or wrong.
2 :
No it isnâ€™t true. I canâ€™t believe any doctor would say such a thing. Colon cancer almost always metastasizes to the liver first, but sometimes it does not. Anyone who works in oncology will tell you cancer does not always behave the way we expect it to and nothing can be assumed. Cancer spreads through the bloodstream or through the lymphatic system. Your mother should get a second opinion.

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Sunday, March 16, 2008

What is the best method to screen for colon cancer

What is the best method to screen for colon cancer?
I have had cramps in my abdomen for the past months and I think it is colon cancer. I wanna go 4 a screening but I don't want it to involve anesthesia. What other options do I have? I really wanna get screened............... Thanks I don't want a colonoscopy because it involves anesthesia
Cancer - 8 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
a colonoscopy is the only way
2 :
You don't say how old you are but people over 50 should have yearly colonoscopies. People with family history of colon cancer should start much earlier, esp if you feel like you are already having symptoms. Theres really no other way then to go up and take a look from the inside. By the time you can see a tumor on an xray it's probably too late.
3 :
1) Why do you think it's cancer? The first sign of colon cancer is RARELY cramps. 2) Routine screening is by a stool smear test. It looks for blood in the stool. 3) "Virtual colonoscopy" is being done, but it's not yet to the standards of regular colonoscopy 4) A sigmoidoscopy is done without anesthesia. 5) I chose to have a colonoscopy under anesthesia. It's NOT normally done that way. Personally, I don't want to be aware of something large going "where the sun don't shine". 6) a colonoscopy is the BEST way to look for cancerous or pre-cancerous polyps.
4 :
As you do not want colonoscopy whist is best to diagnose colon cancer,you can go for Capsule Endoscopy. Although able to identify many lesions and cancers, the relative underperformance of capsule endoscopy -- in which a patient swallows a tiny, battery-operated, excretable capsule fitted with a double-sided video camera -- suggests that for now the more invasive colonoscopy should remain the gold standard for colorectal cancer detection. http://statesman.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/bowe/628979.htm
5 :
Well, CT-colonography is starting to come into use by some Gastro doctors, BUT, if something is detected in the CT-colonography scan like a polyp or a precursor to a cancer you will be having a colonoscopy so they can remove it.
6 :
breast cancer is the the only cancer that matters
7 :
Cramps are not cancer. You might have cramps, and you might have cancer, but the cancer isn't causing the cramping. The ONLY way to detect small cancers is by colonoscopy, pure and simple. You may have a colonoscopy without anesthesia; some people do that. I wouldn't, but I'm not you. Fecal occult blood tests are used for screening, but do not detect cancer, only blood in the stool, which may or may not indicate cancer. And, if the screening is positive, guess what you get? A colonoscopy. Virtual colonoscopies detect polyps that are 1 cm big (like a marble). And, if one is found, guess what you get? A colonoscopy, to remove it. There are some expensive fecal DNA tests, I think, but I don't know much about that. Again, if something is found, you go to colonoscopy for definitive diagnosis. Cramping is more likely to be inflammatory, or diverticulosis/diverticulitis. Those conditions are diagnosed by... colonoscopy. You might get away with a double contrast barium enema, but again, if there is anything suspicious... you know where this is going by now, don't you?
8 :
Go see a doctor. Until you are told you have colon cancer, why don't you assume you don't have colon cancer. When you do see the doctor don't say, "I think I have colon, please find it." Instead tell the doctor your symptoms and let the him/her give you the diagnosis. Cramps in your abdomen can have many causes, some serious, some not. Get yourself checked out. By the way, the anesthesia for a colonoscopy is very light and nothing to worry about. You can even ask for a colonoscopy without any anesthesia, if that's what you want. There are other options to check out your colon. However, none are as effective as the routine colonoscopy.

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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

What are some of the signs you have colon cancer

What are some of the signs you have colon cancer?
What are some of the signs when you first get colon cancer and if you wait a couple years and find out you have colon cancer what are the different signs?
Cancer - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Having a doctors examine. Honestly, it is the only way to tell.
2 :
Rectal bleeding is the big clue.. (but doesn't mean it's positvely cancer)..changes in bowl habits...black-tarry stools (which means possible blood)... You need a colonoscopy to be sure...see your Dr...get checked if you think you may be at risk... My Uncle passed away from colon cancer several years ago...he was having problems and wouldn't go to the Dr until it was too late... When you first "get" colon cancer, often there are NO symptoms..which is why colon screening is so important
3 :
Early stage usually has no symptoms. This is one reason why colon cancer is the # 2 cause of cancer deaths. The "typical" symptoms most people think of do not occur in many people. The link below provides details on symptoms and treatment at later stages.
4 :
Colon cancer is a silent disease. I was diagnosed with advanced stage IV colon cancer at the age of 40 in Jan 2006. My only long term symptom was constipation (20 + years) . A couple of months prior to diagnosis I had bloating and cramping. My GP, and GI specialist were not concerned about cc, only motility issues. Well, the colonoscopy showed different. Wendy www.wendysbattle.com
5 :
Blood in the stool is an early sign, having a colonoscopy yearly will detect it early..it is a silent killer

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