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CT Scan to diagnose anal/rectal cancer?

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alex66814
alex66814

Hey yall, i am 31 and have been dealing with rectal pressure/anal itching for around 3 months. I had a colonscopy done which was clear, and 2 anoscopys and the colorectal surgeons see nothing but some internal hemorhoids. Ive also had abdominal pain intermittently so my urologist has now ordered a Pelvic CT and an Abdominal CT. Can these 2 CT scans detect cancer? A normal person would probably feel healthy after a clear colonoscopy but my mind still goes worst case scenario. Is the thought of an anal cancer or rectal cancer being missed by a colonoscopy/2 ct scans/and 2 anoscopies ridiculous?

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2 Replies

  • EricDT
    EricDT alex66814

    Posted

    A CT scan is very sensitive and can detect tumors; however, colonoscopy is more sensitive. An abdominal/pelvic CT scan exposes you to very high doses of radiation, which can increase chances of getting cancer 10-20+ years later. A typical pelvic/abdominal CT can result in anywhere from 7-14 times the amount of normal background radiation humans are exposed to per year. This depends on whether they repeat the scan using contrast.

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