Colonoscopy after CT Scan/Bowel cancer?

[sissyinthesummertime]

I wonder if anyone can help, or has been through similar.

I'll try and be brief. Mid February I ended up in hospital with severe left hand sided tummy pain. It was the worst pain ever, worse then labour! After receiving a Diclofenac Suppository for pain, I had the most horrendous diarrhoea. I'm not sure if I would have had this with or without the suppository. It was just awful. I won't go into detail.

A CT scan the next day showed 8cm inflammation on my left colon. I'm waiting on a colonoscopy to look at this in more detail.

Since this episode, I've felt continually bloated, have episodes of pain in the area and my bowel habits have changed. It's either diarrhoea, or I don't go for up to a week. I've never had the acute pain again, though I have a niggling pain almost constantly.

I'm very worried about bowel cancer. My brother died age 44 from cancer, which started in his bowel.

There was no bleeding. I have had bad diarrhoea and bleeding in the past, about 8 years ago. A colonoscopy at this time was clear.

Does anyone have any experience of this? Would cancer present in this way? Would it have showed up in the CT scan? Would blood tests done in hospital show cancer? I remember a doctor saying at the time that my blood tests showed that I was very poorly. I really don't know what to think. I just know that I don't feel well. I'm always tired, and feel very down.

I am surprised the CT result was not more specific than “inflammation”. Has diverticulitis been mentioned at all? Was your CRP elevated when you had bloods taken?

Diverticulitis was mentioned initially, but ruled out by the CT scan.

Something was elevated but I can't remember what. I was delirious!

My discharge letter definitely just says 8cm inflammation, colonoscopy recommended.

I feel very confused.

Inflammation of the colon is called a colitis and it could give the symptoms you described. They do need to look at the bowel and possibly take biopsies but this does not mean that it is cancer. Most colitis is not cancer but it depends what the CT report actually said. Try not to panic it is good they are being thorough with the tests.

Thank you. Suffering a bit tonight with pain and feeling reassured!