New PCP

[mmacke]

Just curious...and I may just be totally uneducated about things. I have new PCP and she wants me to have colonoscopy. Just had PET in October, wouldn't lesions in colon show up on scan? Don't see Oncologist until first of Feb. to discuss this with her.

[Susan1953]

My gastroenterologist told me that I did not need one because I had just had a PET scan and MRI. He said polyps would not show up but cancer would show up. I had my last colonoscopy 5 years prior with no polyps and had just been diagnosed with MBC to the bones April 2017.

[Joan37 in reply to Susan1953]

My situation is exactly as you describe, except it's been 20 years. I've been living with MBC for 11 years. I was diagnosed with MBC 9 years after getting a colonoscopy, and developed stage II breast cancer 3 years after it.

[BeckyHobson]

This came up with me too. I actually laughed when my oncologist answered my question. I asked him if I still needed a mammogram on my remaining breast-he said No, your scans will pick up anything. I then asked about the Colonoscopy because I’m 53 and my PCP thinks I need one. ONC says Nope, scan that too. Thirdly, I asked about the HEP C test that is all the talk these days. He replied “Well, we could check for that but what’s the point, you have Stage 4 Cancer, do you want something else to worry about?”

He has a good point lol

[blms in reply to BeckyHobson]

Too funny and true!

[Kimr2081]

I am not real educated either but I would think that cancer would show up in your previous scan. I was do for a colonoscopy last year just after they found the MBC and my oncologist suggested we put it off since I had a scan a few months before and nothing showed up in my colon. Plus with my white blood cell count running a little low he wanted to avoid it.

[PJBinMI]

I've been dealing with mbc for almost 14 years and have continued having colonoscopies every five years and mammograms every year. I've been stable most of this time and don't get scans on a regular basis, just when I have a symptom that needs to be explained. I have lobular bc which can be hard to find on scans since it is generally just one cell thick. For those who want to talk to their oncs but don't have an appt soon, call the onc's office and speak with a nurse.