How often do you have follow up scope?

Just curious how often people are having a follow up scope (sig or c-scope)?  I was diagnosed following my first one last year and when I asked my GI when I should have my next one, he said I only need to have another one if I notice things getting worse.  I have a friend with a mild case of chron's that is fully in remission without meds and she still has a c-scope done every 2 or 3 years.   

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Sandra, age 34

Crohns and Uc, even though they're both classified as IBD's, are quite different from each other. Crohns has a tendancy of becoming more severe faster which could be why your friend needs more frequent scopes. I had one c-scope intially, then I didn't have another one for 8 years only because my Uc flared severely. Once your past the 10 year mark, it is recommended you have a scope either yearly or every 2 years because the risk of colon cancer increases after that time. In between the c-scopes, I usually have a sig every 3 years but now that I'm past 10 years, I think I might be able to get by with just my 2 years cscopes.

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Hi...If one is "fine" regarding biopsies..no precancer, etc...every 3 years is about the norm.

I would question the reason doctors want to do them yearly...especially if biopsies are consistently benign with no precancer, etc.

Colonoscopies do have risks as well. Just ask the pertinent questions and make the judgement accordingly. I personally don't think the 10 year criteria is definitive for everyone.

quincy

q

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I asked my GI this same question at my last visit. He said if you have been diagnosed with UC 10 years or less, he does a scope every 4 years (unless you have issues). 10 years or more, and he goes to one scope every 2 years or every year, depending upon your history. The risk of dysplasia is higher once you have had the disease for 10 years - that is why the more frequent scopes after that mark.

I also think if one has consistent inflammation, the risk is higher.

I'm approaching the 19th year of UC....I don't get the results till October from the biopsies of the scope I just had. If all is clear, I'm assuming we'll follow the same pattern of the next to be in 3 years (unless I'm having symptoms out of the norm). This is also in conjunction with the fact that I have UC related liver disease..which also increases the cancer risk.

q

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SDM....I had a c-scope when diagnosed and another one at the one year mark.  Then every 3 years.    I can see the doc wanting to do one at the end of the first year.

My doctor is not recommending one at the one year mark, he has said another is not required unless my UC appears to be getting worse. I would feel more comfortable monitoring it every 3 years as it seems others are. I will discuss this with him at my next appointment in January (which is just an office visit, no scope).

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Sandra, age 34

I get a c-scope every two years, that's what I'M comfortable with; I want to know what's going on in there. I personally believe S-scopes are worthless, they're cheaper and that's why MD's start w/them (my opinion)--a 45 y/o co-worker was having UC-like sx's and given a s-scope and was told nothing was wrong, in fact, the GI told her she "probably" had UC. Her sx's got worse over six months and finally she had to demand a c-scope and found colon cancer very high up--something the s-scope could not detect--and it was stage four by the time they discovered it.

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Dx Ulcerative Colitis 1999; IBS; CP: Asacol x3 x3/day, Rowasa, Proctofoam, Prilosec, Bentyl, Prozac, Endocet (as needed), multi vit, probiotic, fish oil caps x2/day, calcium 1200 mg./day, Prednisone (off/on, unfortunately).

My situation was kind of opposite of that: I had a c-scope done about a year before I was diagnosed with UC due to bleeding and UC type symptoms and they found nothing but healthy colon. At that time, they said it must be IBS and the bleeding perhaps due to a tear or hemmorroid that had since healed (the bleeding had stopped by the time I had my c-scope). A year later, the bleeding returned and this time they did a s-scope and found the UC. Since it was limited to the first few inches at that time (proctitis), it was not detected with the c-scope I had a year previous, since a c-scope can't see the first few inches of the rectum.

The story about your co-worker is definitely troubling.

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Sandra, age 34

I was diagnosed about six or seven years ago, and my doc doesn't feel the need to rescope until 10 years after diagnosis. I'm unsure what her schedule is after that.

I think this is somewhat an individual thing with doctors. Personally, I think many factors should go into that schedule, like age, length of time since diagnosis, number and duration of flare(s), family history of cancer, etc. There's really no blanket recommendation that can be applied to everyone, is what I'm really trying to say.

Mitz

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Sporadic proctitis since about 1985. Mother had UC, then J-pouch surgery 1983.
DX'd with clostridium difficile in 2000. Prednisone, two courses of Flagyl, then Vancomycin finally got rid of it. Symptomatic with UC after that.
Colonoscopy in 2001 dx'd left-sided UC. Was pretty darn ill at that time. Treated with prednisone, Rowasa, Asacol. Asacol not working so switched to Imuran. Three small flares since in 2002, 2005, and 2007.
Gall bladder attack 6/13; ultrasound showed stones; surgery before end of 2007.
100 mg Azathioprine and 225 mg Effexor XR (for chronic, longstanding depression) daily.

I had many scopes when i was first dx'd but after my first flare was told to come back in 5 years unless I was having problems (with phone check ins periodically). Now that I am at the 10 yr mark he is saying every 2-3 years. I have had many, many sigs because of pharmacutical trial requirements so I am not sure how they are normally.

So far this year I had a scope in Jan because of a flare and a sig last in july because of thickening and scarring seen in a CT. He thought of doing a full scope but thoght it may be too rough on my system w/flaring and what he considered a recent scope.

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Kelly, 29

Left sided UC diagnosed 1/98 age 19, Pan colitis diagnosed 1/07
Currently on 4x3 Asacol, Rowasa every other night, down to 15 mg pred.
75mg Imuran starting 8/23/07---fingers crossed!
Prontonix once daily for acid reflux, zofran twice daily for nausea

If I'm not flaring I go for a sigmoidoscopy once a year just to check, but now that I've been in a flare for the last 14 months I've had one done almost once a month/every two months! to see how bad the UC was and what medicines to give me etc. They don't go up that far, and my whole colon is probably inflamed since I have pancolitis, but my doctor said the s-scope gives them a pretty clear picture of how bad the inflammation is anyway..?
She wanted me to do a full colonoscopy recently, since I haven't had one done since I got diagnosed 10 years ago, but I flared up again and they didn't want to do it, said i had to be in remission not to risk making it worse..
I guess it's different for everyone, but definitely more frequent c-scopes after 10 years because of the cancer risk generally..

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28 years old

A c-scope can see everything, including the anal folds, and the first few inches of the rectum....