A couple of people on here had asked me to keep the forum updated and well.......I have just returned from an appointment with my cancer specialist were I recieved my results for a CT/PET scan that I had 2 weeks back to see how my hodgkins lymphoma has responded to the 6 months chemo I've just had. The results are good, just a slightly large lymph node in the groin is all that's to be seen and the doc reckons that is most likely scar tissue or a non cancerous inflamation of some sort so I have to go back in a few days for an ultrasound and a needle sample taken for tests just to be 100% certain that I'm in the clear. All good news so far. The one thing that has me confused is that I have been pretty sure that I'm suffering from an AF up until today, but my has just doctor told me that the CT/PET scan has shown up that I have suspected piles. The reason that I am confused is that just a few weeks back I had a flexible Sigmoidoscopy that gave me an all clear for that sort of thing and the guy who performed the flex sig reckoned that it was an AF that he couldn't pick up with his camera. I can't go and have any intrusive work done by a specialist in the bottom region yet because I still may need chemo if I don't get the all clear and my cancer doctor was pretty annoyed at me for going behind his back and booking myself in for a flex sig. So I have to just sit and wait for the next month or so, watching my diet, drinking plenty of water etc. But having a camera look down there and tell me there are no haemmoroids, but then having a CT/PET scan that tells me I do seem to be conflicting diagnosis' from different medical procedures and now I'm not sure if I should be using suppositories or not to help me sort myself out, what do you guys on here reckon?

I wouldn't suggest using suppositories. They thin out the skin down there and that could be bad for existing af or causing a future one. I would just keep at a good diet and plenty of fluids. Maybe a stool softener

It's not really that uncommon to have conflicting results from different tests.
You can try suppositories to see if they help. If they have hydrocortisone in them just be careful not to use them more than seven to 10 consecutive days to prevent skin thinning.
Actually, hydrocortisone can be really helpful for fissures as well as hemorrhoids for some people because calming the inflammation also calms the pain which can also calm the spasms and allow for a better chance of healing.
If you're really concerned about a proper diagnosis, if you can tolerate the discomfort of an anoscopy without sedation, it is actually a really quick procedure that doesn't require any prep the way a sigmoidoscopy does. It isn't that invasive as it only examines the anal canal and first part of the rectum. You could ask your oncologist about that to see what he says.

jr2 wrote:If you're really concerned about a proper diagnosis, if you can tolerate the discomfort of an anoscopy without sedation, it is actually a really quick procedure that doesn't require any prep the way a sigmoidoscopy does. It isn't that invasive as it only examines the anal canal and first part of the rectum. You could ask your oncologist about that to see what he says.

I didn't really have any prep with the flex sig, just an enima because the 'night before' preperation what would normally be done to clean you out I couldn't have because of the chemo, so I just turned up, had an enima and then had the flex sig, with just the air & oxygen as a comfort through the ordeal, it actually wasn't as bad as I was fearing. What makes an anoscopy a better option than a sigmoidoscopy, does it gather more detail? As I was under the impression that I was sent for the sig after telling my GP about my symptoms and that would have seen piles if they were present.

Yes, technically, the sigmoidoscopy should be able to detect hemorrhoids and fissures, but not always. Hemorrhoids aren't necessarily always enlarged enough to be visible. Doctors also can just miss things at times. Anoscopy performed by a colorectal surgeon, who specializes in diagnosing these kinds of problems, will allow the surgeon a good view of just the anal canal because of the design of the anoscope.

To be honest, I think the main/only concern for the doctors was making sure that there was no cancer around, bearing in mind the fact that I am being treated for Hodgkins Lymphoma at the moment, I've just googled anoscopy and seen what it is all about, it looks like a breeze compared to the sigmoidoscopy, and that wasn't too bad. Not the best for your pride like, haha. I think I'll be asking for one of those once I'm given the all clear from the cancer.