Screening colonoscopy

Posted by suerc @suerc, Dec 30, 2018

I had a screening colonoscopy at 50 and it was normal. No history of colon cancer in family. Screening at 60 the other day they found 3 polyps. He said the 2 small ones look ok but the larger one he had to put a clip on it . So he was going to send it to pathology to be sure. Any takes on this

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Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Dec 30, 2018

Hi @suerc, Polyps in the colon are very common and most polyps are not cancerous. 3 years ago I also had a polyp removed and sent to pathology. It turned out to be an adenoma - a PREcancerous polyp. When a precancerous polyp is found, it is likely that more frequent colonoscopies will be recommended. It typically takes years for a precancerous polyp to develop into cancer. So with proper screening, colon cancer can be stopped in its tracks.

You may find some of the videos on this page useful https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/gastroenterology-and-gi-surgery/tab/colorectal-cancer/
Mayo Clinic experts talk about colon cancer screening, lowering risk and more.

Keep asking questions.

dianemarcia | @dianemarcia | Dec 31, 2018

It is what it is if it it is cancer u will deal with it just as i am dealing with kine. Its a shovk at first but things will gwt better and work out. Tgey found a hugh mass on my colon i am going throuhg recovery now fromsurgery and waitting to see what stage

suerc | @suerc | Dec 31, 2018

In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @suerc, Polyps in the colon are very common and most polyps are not cancerous. 3..." + (show)

Thanks so much. So then how often do they do colonoscopies on you ? Every 5 yrs or 3 yrs ?

dianemarcia | @dianemarcia | Dec 31, 2018

3/5yrs sometimes every 6 mths. They have not told me yet. Isnt the prep great!!! Lol not!

hrant | @hrant | Dec 31, 2018

do not worry about it now , just wait for the biopsy report . if it is cancer and it is more than 10 mm large then it is more problematic . but if i were you i would start doing the colonoscopy each 5 years even it is not cancer .

suerc | @suerc | Jan 1, 2019

In reply to @dianemarcia "3/5yrs sometimes every 6 mths. They have not told me yet. Isnt the prep great!!! Lol..." + (show)

Wounderful

suerc | @suerc | Jan 1, 2019

In reply to @hrant "do not worry about it now , just wait for the biopsy report . if it..." + (show)

Thanks

dlarryd | @dlarryd | Jan 3, 2019

I do have a history of colon cancer in my family. Several years a I had a Colonoscopy (CO) and had 4 polyps of various sizes. All turned out to be the kind that do grow into cancer. they had a name adonomous or something like that.they were removed during the CO.
two years later I repeated the test and had none. now 3 years later I will get another CO. from my understanding the precancerous ones take a long time to turn into cancer. The others are not a problem.