ct scan

[danarene]

Does anybody know if they can tell the difference between diverticulitis and colon cancer on a ct scan? I was diagnosed with diverticulitis with a severe infection; went for a ct before a surgery could be scheduled for scar tissue in my abdomen. This was a surprise; it was just suppose to be a routine ct scan before a surgery. We never thought it would be abnormal. Took antibiotics and was hoping they could start surgery after meds, but he's making me go to a GI first. I thought with diverticulitis you just took antibiotics and then everything was fine a surgery could be planned. Now he's waiting for me to get the green light from the GI first. I read somewhere that sometimes they could not tell the difference until a colonoscopy. Is this true? Any info would help. Thanks.
                                                                                                           Dana

[Awena]

My father has colon cancer and the CT scan wasn't enough. They had to do a colonoscopy and then exploritory surgery just to make sure it was in fact colon cancer. I think with diverticulitis they do sometimes do surgery depending on how badly the pocket is. My boyfriends father has diverticulitis and he had to have surgery because it was creating a blockage, they also scared him at the time saying it was cancer when in fact it wasn't cancer at all. So sometimes those antibiotics arent enough depending on the case.