Is doctor keeping something from us

[JosieMay1970]

After 7 months of waiting, my family member finally had an initial referral with a consultant, the consultant said it’s inflammatory bowel disease and referred him for a colonoscopy last week, my relative had his colonoscopy 4 days ago and we was advised immediately after the camera he was very inflamed due to Crohn’s disease and had to go straight to hospital.

After the colonoscopy I asked the nurse is it cancer and she assured me it is not cancer, however today received letter from the initial referral appointment summarising the appointment. The letter was dated before my relative had the colonoscopy and what’s got me worried is that in the letter the doctor said he has put my relative on the cancer pathway due to weight loss. But as the dr and nurse who did colonoscopy assured me it’s not bowel cancer, am I ok to believe my relative does not have cancer

Whilst my relative has been in hospital I also asked a gastroenterologist we was concerned it may be cancer and he said it is not. My relative is now receiving treatment for Crohn’s disease in hospital. Should I believe the doctors or should I still be worried it could be cancer?

Can’t you just ask your relative what he’s been told?

The doctors aren’t keeping anything from you as you are not the patient and don’t have a right to know.

Several members of my family have a genetic disposition to bowel cancer, so I've been close to many diagnoses of bowel cancer. They were all told on the day of the scope, the doctors know what they see when they're in there!

So basically - doctor was worried about cancer, but the scope showed something else.

Crohn's isn't easy.

My guess and only a guess the consultant realised he had crohns and fast tracked the test for him. Try not to worry about cancer too much at this stage.

When I was so very poorly, it was either going to be Crohns disease or Bowel cancer - I was dx with crohn's and haven't had Bowel cancer, was diagnosed 22 years ago. Best of luck to your relative!

Cancer pathway doesn't mean it's cancer, just that there are symptoms GP is worried about and wants them to get checked faster than whatever the wait is. Weight loss can be an indicator but they did the tests and found out it wasn't cancer. No reason at all to assume the doctors are lying to your family.

OP - I have Crohn’s and can assure you that when doctors are pretty sure it’s IBD they often put patients on the cancer pathway to fast track the colonoscopy. It’s the only way to get treatment quickly.
I know how worrying it is, especially when someone is so unwell but treatments are pretty good now.
All the best to your relative for good care and hope they are soon getting proper ongoing treatment. I’d recommend getting in touch with Crohn’s and Colitis UK. They are a brilliant charity who can provide support for patients and relatives and the website and helplines are really good. Take care and feel free to ask anything if I can help.

Well you aren't the patient and unless they lack capacity or you have POA they can't tell you anything anyway. Why would they "be keeping it from you". They're not an evil cabal you know?
As a reassurance initial referrals with red flag symptoms like weight loss are usually sent as "suspected cancer fast tracks". It doesn't mean they have cancer and normally the patient will be told very quickly.

Doctors aren’t allowed to lie or withhold information. They have a duty of candour.

Patient confidentiality, if you want to know what's wrong with your relative ask them

I believe the suspected cancer referral pathway means that a patient is seen initially promptly. I believe that this is employed when any symptoms reported could be indicative of cancer however it does not mean it is and usually is not cancer. It doesn’t sound to me that you should be concerned about cancer.

I was put on the 2 week cancer pathway when I was found to have unexplained anaemia, and had an urgent colonoscopy and gastroscopy within that period to check whether the cause was internal bleeding and cancer related. Fortunately it turned out I had ulcers which were treatable.

Based on my experience alone, I suspect the consultant put your relative on the cancer pathway for similar reasons - because, based on their symptoms, it couldn't be ruled out and, if it was cancer, it needed to be checked out quickly. Once they'd done the colonoscopy they were able to rule out cancer. Obviously the colonoscopy gave them much more information than the consultant had originally so it is likely to be reasonably definitive.

Was it USC pathway / urgent suspected pathway ?- that's just a rapid referral system either for a review or fir imaging, it's not a diagnosis

Urgent suspected cancer

@EmilyTjP Doctors aren’t allowed to lie or withhold information. They have a duty of candour

That’s correct in relation to the PATIENT. It’s not correct in relation to relatives unless the patient genuinely doesn’t have capacity and this is documented. They most certainly are allowed, and indeed should, withhold information from relatives unless the patient doesn’t have capacity and they are speaking to the correct assigned person (which may or may not even be a relative).

Cancer pathway doesn't mean it's cancer, just that there are symptoms GP is worried about and wants them to get checked faster than whatever the wait is.

That. My husband was told straight after his colonoscopy that what they could see was likely to be cancerous.

I think they know exactly what they're looking for and the difference between the conditions is very clear. Why don't you believe them?

But in this case the doctor and nurse didn't say "I'm afraid I'm not able to discuss this with you". They categorically said that it's not cancer. So clearly they had permission to talk to OP.

The letter date was before the colonoscopy? The Dr is covering all the bases, he may have thought IBD/Crohns but they have to rule out cancer, better to be on the pathway and not need it

@saraclara But in this case the doctor and nurse didn't say "I'm afraid I'm not able to discuss this with you". They categorically said that it's not cancer. So clearly they had permission to talk to OP

Okay, so if they were authorised to speak to OP, why on earth would they lie? It’s so strange to think they are lying, no? Does anyone really think that, if someone has cancer, their associated healthcare professionals go ‘hey, you know what would be fun, let’s tell them it’s NOT cancer, because that would be so funny’ or whatever. Thats actually insane. Someone has symptoms that may or may not indicate cancer so have appropriate investigations. Healthcare professionals then say whether it is or isn’t as a result of the investigations. I just don’t understand the difficulty with this concept?

Update to anyone who wants to know

the original consultant followed up with my relative in hospital today and told him that his haemoglobin has gotten lower, so the doctor wants to do another camera only of his throat. The first endoscopy showed nothing wrong? Is this concerning that they are going to do another one?

also I want to thank everyone for your replies, I am a very anxious person so all these replies have helped ease my mind so much. I am so grateful to everyone whose helped with their reply.

The cancer pathway is to investigate and potentially rule it out as a cause of symptoms within a short time frame. It is not in itself a diagnosis so the colonoscopy will be more informative.