Why do we bother with diagnosis?
Question:
> I don’t think the cancer rate is very different for UC and Crohn’s Colitis.
If you have inflammation throughout the entire colon ("pancolitis") and have had your disease for at least 8 to 10 years, it doesn’t matter which IBD you have, Crohn’s or UC–the colon cancer risk is the same.
Response:
Because they are different diseases, and one is, IMO, worse than the other. I breathed a sigh of relief when I was diagnosed with UC and not Crohns. For some reason, nausea is the worst feeling in the world to me. If I had Crohns and was vomiting all the time, I think I would have commited suicide by now. Some people can handle that – I can’t. But my colitis symptoms usually don’t phase me, even when they are bad and I am in pain. And I know that if it gets really bad, I can have the colectomy and be relieved of those symptoms.
Response:
> Because they are different diseases, and one is, IMO, worse than the other. I > breathed a sigh of relief when I was diagnosed with UC and not Crohns. For > some reason, nausea is the worst feeling in the world to me. If I had Crohns > and was vomiting all the time, I think I would have commited suicide by now. > Some people can handle that – I can’t.
UC can certainly cause nausea and vomiting as well, it affects everybody differently in that regard. I’m not sure one is worse than the other per se, but the availability of a surgical "cure" for UC is an "out" that most Crohn’s patients don’t have.
Response:
That is one of the reasons my dx was changed. All the CD meds were working much better than the UC meds. Rebecca 
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hehehehe I hope they don’t change my diagnosis to Crohn’s – I have UC > and remicade and methotrexate are the most effective meds for me > Take care, > Amy. > Crohn’s patients OTOH have more medical options available to them, i.e. > remicade, methotrexate, and antibiotics, all of which are not > particularly effective in UC.
Response:
!. There is nothing worse than being miserable without knowing why. 2. With correct dx you get a better chance of reciving correct treatment. 3. Crohns & Colitis may have similarities but they are not the same.
Response:
Maybe the patient wants to know for their piece of mind in deciding on treatments. After all, it is ultimately the patient who decides on his/her treatment, not the doctor. mgbio – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->As everyone else has made clear it matters most when surgery is an >option since UC can essentially be cured with surgery and Crohn’s >patients who do undergo j-pouch surgery typically have much higher pouch >failure rates. >Crohn’s patients OTOH have more medical options available to them, i.e. >remicade, methotrexate, and antibiotics, all of which are not >particularly effective in UC. > Yes I must agree that when surgery is an option it is very important > to distinguish between CD and UC, but before then when medication is > used I do feel that too much time is wasted trying to find out if its > CD or UC. If it is known where the inflammation is, we should > concentrate more on dealing with that. > Also, as far as I am aware, they are currently trailing remicade with > successful results for UC. > The point I am mostly trying to argue is, that I see so many posts of > different board about people being annoyed with their GI as they > cannot tell them if they have CD or UC, but in the most both are > treated the same way so we should be concentrating on treatment then > worry at a later stage if need be.
Response:
> Larry, > That is encouraging. I would be interesting in seeing their published > data on this. Successful outcomes does not mean that this is yet > accepted practice or successful enough to risk as a standard treatment > for CD patients yet. I do pray that day comes, and it is soon.
I had an experienced j-pouch surgeon tell me that he would offer the j-pouch operation to Crohn’s patients as long as they were well aware of and accepted the risk associated with it. IIRC the complication rate in terms of pouch failure is still quite high for Crohn’s patients, I believe around 40 to 50%, so it’s probably not a good option for most patients. J-pouch surgery is certainly a complicated issue for Crohn’s patients because losing a foot or more of small intestine could have serious consequences down the road.
Response:
> Crohn’s colitis not just regular crohn’s. I think. I can look it up. > Debs
This seems to be the commonly accepted belief now. I believe the risks are considered to be pretty much the same with Crohn’s colitis and UC, depending upon how extensive the disease is and duration of illness.
Response:
Hehehehe I hope they don’t change my diagnosis to Crohn’s – I have UC and remicade and methotrexate are the most effective meds for me Take care, Amy. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Crohn’s patients OTOH have more medical options available to them, i.e. > remicade, methotrexate, and antibiotics, all of which are not > particularly effective in UC.
Response:
> As everyone else has made clear it matters most when surgery is an > option since UC can essentially be cured with surgery and Crohn’s > patients who do undergo j-pouch surgery typically have much higher pouch > failure rates. > Crohn’s patients OTOH have more medical options available to them, i.e. > remicade, methotrexate, and antibiotics, all of which are not > particularly effective in UC.
Yes I must agree that when surgery is an option it is very important to distinguish between CD and UC, but before then when medication is used I do feel that too much time is wasted trying to find out if its CD or UC. If it is known where the inflammation is, we should concentrate more on dealing with that. Also, as far as I am aware, they are currently trailing remicade with successful results for UC. The point I am mostly trying to argue is, that I see so many posts of different board about people being annoyed with their GI as they cannot tell them if they have CD or UC, but in the most both are treated the same way so we should be concentrating on treatment then worry at a later stage if need be.
Response:
I’d like to know, too, as I was originally dxed with UC and now it is Crohns Colitis. Rebecca
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Please do Deb, you know me <G>. > mgbio > Crohn’s colitis not just regular crohn’s. I think. I can look it up. > Debs >> I thought it was significantly different. >> mgbio >>> I don’t think the cancer rate is very different for UC and Crohn’s >>> Colitis. >>> Debs >>>>> I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have >>>>> Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. >>>>> As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the >>>>> same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where >>>>> the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if >>>>> we have Crohns or Colitis? >>>> In addition to all of the other good reasons posted, UC comes with a >>>> significantly elevated risk of colon cancer after several years. >>>> Larry
Response:
Please do Deb, you know me <G>. mgbio – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Crohn’s colitis not just regular crohn’s. I think. I can look it up. > Debs > I thought it was significantly different. > mgbio >> I don’t think the cancer rate is very different for UC and Crohn’s >> Colitis. >> Debs >>>> I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have >>>> Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. >>>> As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the >>>> same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where >>>> the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if >>>> we have Crohns or Colitis? >>> In addition to all of the other good reasons posted, UC comes with a >>> significantly elevated risk of colon cancer after several years. >>> Larry
Response:
> I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have > Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. > As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the > same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where > the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if > we have Crohns or Colitis?
As everyone else has made clear it matters most when surgery is an option since UC can essentially be cured with surgery and Crohn’s patients who do undergo j-pouch surgery typically have much higher pouch failure rates. Crohn’s patients OTOH have more medical options available to them, i.e. remicade, methotrexate, and antibiotics, all of which are not particularly effective in UC.
Response:
Crohn’s colitis not just regular crohn’s. I think. I can look it up. Debs – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I thought it was significantly different. > mgbio > I don’t think the cancer rate is very different for UC and Crohn’s > Colitis. > Debs >>> I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have >>> Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. >>> As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the >>> same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where >>> the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if >>> we have Crohns or Colitis? >> In addition to all of the other good reasons posted, UC comes with a >> significantly elevated risk of colon cancer after several years. >> Larry
– remove YOURFOOT before responding
Response:
Because Crohns causes inflammation through all the layers of the intestinal wall and UC’s inflammation is only the first and/or second layers…ja
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have > Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. > As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the > same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where > the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if > we have Crohns or Colitis? > In addition to all of the other good reasons posted, UC comes with a > significantly elevated risk of colon cancer after several years. > Larry
Response:
I thought it was significantly different. mgbio – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I don’t think the cancer rate is very different for UC and Crohn’s Colitis. > Debs >> I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have >> Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. >> As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the >> same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where >> the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if >> we have Crohns or Colitis? > In addition to all of the other good reasons posted, UC comes with a > significantly elevated risk of colon cancer after several years. > Larry
Response:
I don’t think the cancer rate is very different for UC and Crohn’s Colitis. Debs – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have >Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. >As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the >same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where >the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if >we have Crohns or Colitis? > In addition to all of the other good reasons posted, UC comes with a > significantly elevated risk of colon cancer after several years. > Larry
– remove YOURFOOT before responding
Response:
Because they are not treated the same medically. CD and UC respond differently to antibiotics as well as to the use of biologics such as Infleximab (Remicade). Most importantly, UC is considered curable with surgery while CD is incurable. It is this last difference that is the most crucial when making decisions about surgery. How a surgeon would go about a coloectomy is very different for a UC patient and a CD patient. A UC patient can have j-pouch surgery (or a variation thereof) and eventually be re-connected and resume a basically normal life. A CD patient would never be offered this option and instead would be given a permanent ostomy. mgbio – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have > Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. > As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the > same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where > the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if > we have Crohns or Colitis?
Response:
> Because they are not treated the same medically. CD and UC respond
differently to antibiotics as well as to the use of biologics such as Infleximab (Remicade). Most importantly, UC is considered curable with surgery while CD is incurable. It is this last difference that is the most crucial when making decisions about surgery. How a surgeon would go about a coloectomy is very different for a UC patient and a CD patient. A UC patient can have j-pouch surgery (or a variation thereof) and eventually be re-connected and resume a basically normal life. A CD patient would never be offered this option and instead would be given a permanent ostomy. That was certainly true at one time, but my GI Doc (Mark Chapman, partner of Dan Present) says they work with a surgeon who, along with maintenance drugs, has had successful outcomes with a j-pouch for CD in the past few years. Larry
Response:
> I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have > Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. > As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the > same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where > the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if > we have Crohns or Colitis?
In addition to all of the other good reasons posted, UC comes with a significantly elevated risk of colon cancer after several years. Larry
Response:
Larry, That is encouraging. I would be interesting in seeing their published data on this. Successful outcomes does not mean that this is yet accepted practice or successful enough to risk as a standard treatment for CD patients yet. I do pray that day comes, and it is soon. mgbio – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Because they are not treated the same medically. CD and UC respond > differently to antibiotics as well as to the use of biologics such as > Infleximab (Remicade). Most importantly, UC is considered curable with > surgery while CD is incurable. It is this last difference that is the > most crucial when making decisions about surgery. How a surgeon would > go about a coloectomy is very different for a UC patient and a CD > patient. A UC patient can have j-pouch surgery (or a variation > thereof) and eventually be re-connected and resume a basically normal > life. A CD patient would never be offered this option and instead > would be given a permanent ostomy. > That was certainly true at one time, but my GI Doc (Mark Chapman, > partner of Dan Present) says they work with a surgeon who, along with > maintenance drugs, has had successful outcomes with a j-pouch for CD in > the past few years. > Larry
Response:
Because a diagnosis of Crohns changes the Dr’s approach. With UC you can just remove the colon and that’s the end of the story. With Crohn’s if you remove a diseased portion of the GI tract it will FREQUENTLY return at the site of the surgery. Also Crohns can attack anywhere fom the mouth to the anus. Debs > I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have > Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. > As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the > same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where > the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if > we have Crohns or Colitis?
– remove YOURFOOT before responding
Response:
>I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have > Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. > As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the > same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where > the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if > we have Crohns or Colitis?
In addendum to what the other posters have said, there are treatments that concern themselves more with one illness over another. Remicade, for instance, is effective in Crohn’s but not in UC.
Response:
Because if you have UC there is always the possibility of a colectomy and and it is gone, forever. Paul – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have >Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. >As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the >same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where >the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if >we have Crohns or Colitis?
Response:
I see so many posts on here with people worrying about if they have Crohns or UC, but why do people worry so much about it. As far as I am aware, both conditions are treated medically in the same way, yes maybe different medication is better depending on where the inflammation is, so why do we worry so much about finding out if we have Crohns or Colitis?
Response:
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