Colonoscopy

My mum has just done her annual health check up. Her report shows the "C.E.A." reading (blood test) is borderly high (3.5 ng/ml VS

I know it does not necessarily mean she has colorectal cancer but there is always a risk. We definitely think further testing is required. We want her to go to private hospital to have it done

immediately but she thinks it's a waste of money since the govt hospital has already arranged one for her.


I was worried about my mum's psyche during the wait but she seems to be very cool about it. I can only remind her to pay attention to her body condition and let us know at once if she does not feel well!!


Has anyone/'s family/friends come across similar situation? Is 2 and a half months too long / risky to wait? Any advice?


Thanks!

Thanks so much beancurd! Got similar opinions from some friends too. We prepare to spend the money, just that mum is against it - she feels the arrangement of the public hospital is good enough. And she believes her condition is not so bad; otherwise the doctor would have scheduled the colonoscopy for earlier. We will just have to closely monitor her health condition in this case.

From a medical standpoint, a two month wait for a screening test is quite acceptable. Maybe a simple interim stool test to check for microscopic bleeding may help to understand the urgency better. Presuming that your mother is well and no one else in rhe family has colon cancer, the wait is acceptable.


Matilda Medical Centre - 2537 8500

9 Queen's Road

Hong Kong

Thanks for your advice Matilda. Yes she went for a stool test arranged by the hospital already. We are waiting for the result.

Hello Sesame,


I know this was from a long time ago but i guess it doesnt hurt to ask.


did your mom went clear of any polyps or tumor?


Ive just been diagnosed with rectal cancer. Should i have done the

colonoscopy earlier and not wait for 6 months could have been a different

story for me.

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, Ranny. Take heart that treatments nowadays are pretty good. I hope you have seen you colorectal surgeon and oncologist to work yourself up and arrange for the appropriate treatments.

Hello jeanlim,


That's true. Im having Radiation and Oral Chemotherapy at Queens Mary Hospital in Pokfulam. Yes, they have arranged an Oncologist for the treatment

and I believed that they have also arranged a surgeon for my case.


Im just haging on for now.


Thank you!

I had a colonoscopy done in HK recently. I was under some time pressure as I was about to quit my job and was thus keen for this to be done quickly while I had the company medical scheme to support me if the results gave me a diagnosis that I had a tumour for example or something that needed serious treatment.

The doctor I went to was named Eric Li Ting Ho. The first thing that struck me was the nature of the consultation. I had been to see about this just before I moved to HK. The Nuffield people back home, I booked the colonoscopy with them but when they spoke with me, I was quietly impressed with the way they said to me that a colonoscopy wasn't good use of my cash. They said the risk factors didn't justify a colonoscopy at this stage and said that a turd test would be fine. The turd test results reported no issues and I was told not to worry about this 'til I passed my 50th birthday.

Then there was the consultation I had in HK (still under the age of 50). It was very different from the Nuffield experience. It felt like anything I said, the answer was, 'You need a colonoscopy'. So much so that in hindsight I wondered if I should have said to him, 'My favourite sports team lost at the weekend' to see if he recommended I get a colonoscopy as the solution. Anyway I went ahead with it and the results sheet said I had no issues.

A minor post script to this. I posted the results sheet to my home country to be added to my lifelong medical record there. Regrettably I can now say, I did this by standard post. The letter got lost in the post somewhere. I contacted the doctor in HK to ask for another copy of the results page. When I went in the receptionist literally stood before me beside the photocopier with the single side sheet of paper in her hand. She that as instructed by the doctor, for her to place the piece of paper on to the copier and press the [start] button would cost me 1000 hkd. All for a copy of one side of a single piece of paper.