So, cancer can develop that quickly. My scan last year did not find anything, all was clear. I thought that colon cancer was slow growing and that is why screening with a scope was set at every 5 years (sigmoid). Could this rectal wall thickening have anything to do with my back pain?
Hi there.
Thickening of the rectal walls can indicate several pathologies (that's why it was read as non-specific) including infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, benign tumors, or even malignant growths. Infections in this part of the intestine can include amebic colitis which can be treated easily. IBD's or inflammatory bowel diseases such as crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis can also present with this thickening. Malignancy or cancer can also present this way.
As was suggested by the scan, visualization may be warranted in the form of another sigmoidoscopy (yes, this could have developed in a span of a year) and to have the area sampled with a biopsy if necessary.
Regards