precancerous polyp: recently on the... - Colon Cancer Conn...

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precancerous polyp

Mondlee profile image
42 Replies

recently on the 11th Oct I went for a colonoscopy cos I had some bleeding like in 2020, this 2023 is my second one, dr found 3 polys, 2 is 0.5cm and benign and 1 is 1.5cm and precancerous. Dr named it as Traditional Serrated adenomas with mild dysplasia and I will go scope in a year. All 3 polyps were removed during the colonoscopy. Till to today, I was still thinking and worried on the precancerous polyp that is removed, am I safe for now, is 1 year later colonoscopy too short.Do I still need to worry on anything after they remove that precancerous polyp already.

Any answers are appreciated. I just felt worried and anxious and demotivated. Thank you everyone

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Mondlee profile image
Mondlee
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42 Replies
GCCA-Survivor profile image
GCCA-SurvivorAdministrator

Hi Mondlee,

I am glad you had the colonoscopy and caught these things early. I am proud of you. A precancerous polyp means it has not had the chance to develop into cancer and catching it and removing it gets rid of that issue. It is so good you found this early. You are what we call a Previvor and that should be celebrated.

The fact they found this means they want to check you out with another colonoscopy 1 year out. That is the same surveillance procedure I am on, and I had stage 4 colon cancer. So, you are being watched closely. You can be confident in that. There may be a tendency to develop another one and they are very slow developing. I remember my oncologist telling be “you know that tumor we took out of you in 2012 was a polyp in 2006.” I wish I had caught mine in a pre-cancerous form in 2006 before it became stage 4 in 2012.

Another question to ask: is there a history of cancer in your family? This is a good thing to know as this could determine what surveillance you need to stay ahead of things. Catch thing early should they develop. I do have a hereditary form of cancer. Cancer can hide from my immune system. Therefore, I get an annual colonoscopy, annual CT scan and annual bloodwork. I also get an upper GI endoscopy every 3 years.

I understand you had 3 polyps removed. Was it determined they were the cause of your symptom of bleeding? I hope it was and you are done with that worry and can move on.

Thank you and all the best ❤️👍

Tom

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to GCCA-Survivor

Hi Tom,thank you so much for your assurance, I felt better, yes I ask my Dr is the bleeding coming from the 1.5cm polyp, he said he saw it bleed when his device is scoping inside. So yes it comes from the polyp itself.sometimes the terms precancerous scares me. I do not have any family history

Reading everyone’s post here and comments really soothes me as well

Thank you Tom and appreciated your reply :)

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to GCCA-Survivor

Hi Tom, it’s my 6th day after the removing of polyp, I still see a little bit of bleed, do u think it’s there any concern

EmmyCG profile image
EmmyCG in reply to Mondlee

I had a 2cm polyp removed august first. It bled for about a week and a half after it was removed and then it stopped. They can bleed up to two weeks I believe

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to EmmyCG

Hi Emmy

Good day to you, thank you , I feel much better after what u say , is yours removed thru colonoscopy?, it’s benign or precancerous for that polyp may I ask. Appreciated

So subsequently you don’t bleed anymore? Then what symptoms you have for doing the colonoscopy? Or just a rountine check?

EmmyCG profile image
EmmyCG in reply to Mondlee

Hey! Mine was precancerous. It was a tubulovillous with high grade dysplasia. I have to be scanned again in January. I was extremely lucky I had my colonoscopy when I did. I was bleeding with every bowel movement and also had pressure in my rectum. That’s what led to the colonoscopy. All those symptoms stopped a week and a half after the colonoscopy. He removed the polyp during the colonoscopy

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to EmmyCG

Hello Emmy,Thank you for answering, back in 2020, I had this bleed/ pressure in rectum and then I went for colonoscopy as well in 2020 but 2020 have 3 benign polys whereas 2023 I had 2 benign and 1 precancerous.

Do you know whether my Traditional Serrated adenomas mild Dysplasia any difference with your tubulovillous with high grade dysplasia so meaning 1/2 year later u gonna scope again

EmmyCG profile image
EmmyCG in reply to Mondlee

Mild dysplasia is better than high grade. My cells looked more like cancer so that is why mine was high grade. I will scope again in January and then yearly for a little while. I do know serrated are considered precancerous but the fact it was mild dysplasia is good.

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to EmmyCG

Hi Emmy, appreciated your reply, I’m going for a 1 year scope as well, u go in 1/2 year first is also to play safe, so yours is considered precancerous as well? So meaning after they get rid thru colonoscopy, you do not need to do any other things right??

EmmyCG profile image
EmmyCG in reply to Mondlee

Yes, the next step for my polyp was full blown cancer since it had the high grade dysplasia. I recheck in 6 months to make sure nothing has grown back and then another follow up in a year

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to EmmyCG

So can I know where is your polyp located? But usually high dysplasia doesn’t meant cancerous as well right

EmmyCG profile image
EmmyCG in reply to Mondlee

It was right past my rectum and the beginning of my colon. High dysplasia means the cells look more like cancer cells than normal cells

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to EmmyCG

We are all lucky to get it check out and removed asap, I hope all of us are well , I’m looking forward for your updates on your daily as well. I kept thinking about it even though I know mine precancerous polyp had been removed. Probably the word is hard on me. I felt worried/ scare and anxious at times. Sigh that’s life

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to Mondlee

I went to my doc also to tell him about the bleeding thingy so he Prescribed me son tranexamic pills to stop bleeding if I’m concern, do you think I should take?

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to EmmyCG

Do keep us updated in your result in January, you will be alright Emmy

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to EmmyCG

Currently I have a lot of mucus also . Basically after this colonoscopy, removal of polyps, mucus came as well, more compare to in the past

Carl33150 profile image
Carl33150 in reply to EmmyCG

Hi,glad you were able to have your colonoscopy 👌

what color was the mucus?

and was the blood in the stools present every day?

how often did he come back?

EmmyCG profile image
EmmyCG in reply to Carl33150

I never had mucus but blood was present in every bowel movement. I would pass blood clots as well.

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to EmmyCG

So far everything is good for you right, just waiting to go back recheck colonoscopy in January, from the last check till now, no more problem as well plus no more blood too right

EmmyCG profile image
EmmyCG in reply to Mondlee

After he removed the polyp, I have not had anymore issues

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to EmmyCG

Nice, update on your January colonoscopy, I was curious on whether it is clean after they had removed that polyp 6 months ago :)

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to GCCA-Survivor

Hey Tom, I’m curious to ask why during 2006 when it is a polyp, u didn’t remove it? And what symptoms you had before you do colonoscopy in year 2012

GCCA-Survivor profile image
GCCA-SurvivorAdministrator in reply to Mondlee

In 2006, I didn't know I had it. I had no symptoms and I was under the age of 50 to get my first colonoscopy. In 2012, the first symptom was is started to hurt in my abdomen after I ate a large meal. So I just didn't eat large meals and it went away. Then, I had a small lump I could feel on the lower right side of my abdomen and it was there a long time. I didn't think much about it until it became a little tender to the touch. I was in for a routine physical so I could qualify for the lower insurance rate offered at my company. The doctor said "let's get that checked out". Two days after that I had a CT scan and 2 days after that I was standing in front of a surgeon.

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to GCCA-Survivor

So basically you have to be 50yo to get a colonoscopy, omg, but then you do not have any single symptoms including bleeding except that lump you feel. Even your stools had no different? Where’s ur location of tumor, it doesn’t affect your BM at all

GCCA-Survivor profile image
GCCA-SurvivorAdministrator in reply to Mondlee

Back then is was 50. It is not 45 years old. I feel it needs to be lower than that.

I did have some thinning stools but it was sporatic at best. That was in 2012. Nothing before 2012.

The tumor was that small lump I was feeling that was getting tender. It was growing outside the ascending colon. I had the ascending colon and half the traverse colon removed (partial colectomy). That got rid of the tumor on my colon. The cancer had metastasized to another part of the lower abdominal area and we had to fight that for over 4 years.

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to GCCA-Survivor

Then you do not need a bag as well so the cell spread to your lower abdominal area so you have to fight it for the next 4 years. I don’t know what to say but your mental strength is so so strong. Your surgeon and nurses are miracle as well

GCCA-Survivor profile image
GCCA-SurvivorAdministrator in reply to Mondlee

No stoma and therefore no bag required. I never had to have that. I am thankful for that.

You may find this interesting ... the clinical trial was with an immunotherapy drug called Opdivo (Nivolumab). It does not fight the cancer, but it wakes up my immune system to fight the cancer. It did that. The treatment and dose was very personalized for my particular situation. One of the dangers associated with this is activating the immune system to the point it starts attacking a healthy organ. That can happen and not turn out well. It did happen with me as my immune system attacked my duodenum (first place out of the stomach and the beginning of the small intestine) by stricturing the opening. Long story short, I had to come off the trial and had to have a stomach bypass surgery (gastrojenunostomy) . That just hooked up my small intestine to the bottom of my stomach. So I now essentially have two ways out of my stomach.😲

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to GCCA-Survivor

I am v impressed with your surgeon as well, from stage 4 to nothing, incredible. You are strong as well. So any food you will or need to avoid? Then how about ur BM, any difference or you expect and how do you actually cope with all these especially the initial part? Can I know, I still think you have a warrior mindset Tom

GCCA-Survivor profile image
GCCA-SurvivorAdministrator in reply to Mondlee

I had good doctors. I now realize how good they are when I hear stories of those who don't have good doctors. The very first thing they wanted me to do even before my first chemo treatment was get genetic testing. This told me I had a hereditary form of colon cancer called Lynch Syndrome. Essentially, cancer can hide from my immune system. After over 2 years of chemo and radiation, it wasn't working. Then a clinical trial found me and the way it found me was the genetic testing I did 2 years prior. It turned out to be very successful. I had colon cancer, and the drug in the trial was proven effective for certain lung and melanoma cancers. They determined my mutation had some similar biomarkers to the lung and melanoma tumor types, so maybe it would be successful for me. It absolutely was. And as it ends up, the genetic testing I did over 2 years prior was the most important thing I did in my cancer fight. I had good doctors. Genetic testing was not as common back then as it is now.

I have normal eating habits and normal BM most of the time. I do take diarrhea meds as that is still a side effect, but that comes and goes. I have half my colon intact. I get an annual colonoscopy as well to catch anything early that may come up.

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to GCCA-Survivor

So even after your ops till now, your BM are normal. I’m glad that everything is good for you now, so happy for you .you said about your diarrhoea side effect after the operation?

I went to the doc about my bleed and he prescribed me Tranexmaic but I do not know whether to take or not cos I’m afraid the diarrhoea side effect as my stomach is vulnerable to diarrhoea

GCCA-Survivor profile image
GCCA-SurvivorAdministrator in reply to Mondlee

Normal most of the time. Sometimes diarrhea. That is part of after operation effects and having gotten the immunotherapy drug. I don't worry about it. I try to keep my eating habits consistent for the most part as I find that helps.

Thought ... maybe you take the Tranexmaic to stop the bleeding. How long would you need to be on it? You'll expect the possible diarrhea but that should get back to normal when you stop the Tranexmaic?

Carl33150 profile image
Carl33150

Hi,I'm French and I use a translator!.

Did you bleed every day? and was there any mucus?

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to Carl33150

Yes abit of mucus as well plus diarrhoea

Nina40 profile image
Nina40 in reply to Carl33150

bonjour je suis aussi de France j'ai vue votre photo concernant les mucus je voulais savoir est ce que ta passé ta coloscopie svp

lsmf profile image
lsmf

Did you have any other symptoms besides bleeding?

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to lsmf

Basically bleed n diarrhoea sometimes

lsmf profile image
lsmf in reply to Mondlee

Was it a lot of blood? visible? tks!

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to lsmf

Hello :) not a lot but visible, have you urself gone for any colonoscopy?

lsmf profile image
lsmf in reply to Mondlee

I have one schedulle in one week.

Dance22 profile image
Dance22

Hi I’ve gone through this earlier this year! a colonoscopy found polyps which were removed one was cancerous so I had a operation to remove the tissue, so far no issues! I’m on a five year watch with MRI scans ect to keep on top of things, I’m sure they will have got any cancer 👍👍

Mondlee profile image
Mondlee in reply to Dance22

So urs is a cancerous polyp, how come it’s 5 years apart, can I ask what symptoms you have before u do ur colonoscopy and where is the polyp located. No chemo is needed?

Dance22 profile image
Dance22

hi sorry for late reply I’ve so much going on ! it’s not five years apart it’s a five year plan, I have check ups and bloods done MRI CT scans every three months for a year then every six months and so on until it’s five years, hopefully you are doing okay, I’m doing just great and so glad I did the bowel test x

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