Colonoscopy at 45 , repeat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you say to the PCP "I had it done 3 years ago and the gastro said come back in 10 years?" And what did the PCP say to that?

Same question. Did the PCP even read your file? Some of my doctors don't delve deep into my records - I have to remind them of key points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd do it, but I have family history.

That is so irrelevant. Not about you.

[Anonymous]

Seems like if the gastro said to come back in 10 years, the PCP should have a good reason to go do it again at 45.

Personally, having just had to have two colonoscopies in three months + return in a year, I wouldn't necessarily be signing up for any more than my gastro recommended...

[Anonymous]

Op, do Cologuard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, do Cologuard?

OP's situation is different from mine because OP had a colonoscopy already before 45.

But since you mention it: I don't know how reliable Cologuard is. I did one at 45 because I was at no particular risk for colon cancer. That's supposed to cover you for three years. So at 48, I did a colonoscopy — which found a large cancerous polyp of about 4 cm. The doctor removed it, a CT scan was clear, a genetic test didn't indicate any unusual susceptibility to cancer, and a subsequent follow-up colonoscopy a few months later found nothing. I go back in about a year, and if that's also clear, I can do every three years. But still, I can't help thinking that I should have just gotten the colonoscopy at 45; is it possible there was no large cancer then (and that's why the Cologuard didn't find anything) and then it suddenly grew? Sort of seems like I missed the chance to catch it even sooner than I did.