A female asked:
How high would chances be that symptomatic colon or rectal cancer be missed on 3 separate ct scans? would this be very likely?
2 doctor answers • 9 doctors weighed in
A Verified Doctoranswered
Pathology, Anatomic and Clinical 51 years experience
Colo-Rectal Cancer : It wasn't clear to me whether or not you are "symptomatic." if not, and you are young <you didn't provide your age either (colon cancer is more likely to appear after age 50 unless you have a cancer gene)> chances of missing a tumor on 3 ct scans are low, but possible. A better screening test is a colonoscopy. You should discuss this with your doctor if it remains a concern.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Bahman Daneshfaranswered
Radiation Oncology 35 years experience
Possible to miss: The colon has many folds and turns with stool inside it. It would have to be big enough for a ct scan to show it and contrast inside the colon might help identify it on a ct scan. But it can miss a lesion. The best way to see colon cancer is taking a prep to clean out the colon and getting an endoscopy (colonoscopy) that can visualize the cancer and biopsy it at the same time.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Erik Borncamp commented
Wound care 27 years experience
CT is not a good screen to find colon cancer. Colonoscopy !
Feb 23, 2017
Last updated Jan 5, 2019
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