Colorectal cancer cells can break away from the
How long does it take for a polyp to turn into cancer? The growth and mutation of colon polyps into cancer is a slow process, taking an estimated 10 years on average.
Given enough time to grow and develop, some adenomatous polyps can spread into surrounding tissues and infiltrate the two highway systems of the body: the bloodstream and the lymph nodes. This ability to invade and spread, or metastasize, is how we define a cancer.
A colon polyp is a small clump of cells that forms on the lining of the colon. Most colon polyps are harmless. But over time, some colon polyps can develop into colon cancer. Colon cancer can be fatal when found in its later stages.
If a polyp has cancerous cells, they will also biopsy nearby lymph nodes to determine if the cancer has spread or metastasized to other areas of the body. In this case radiation, chemotherapy or other therapies may be recommended. Colonoscopy screenings can be life saving!
The most common site of metastases for colorectal cancer, which includes colon cancer or rectal cancer is the liver. Colorectal cancer cells may also spread to the lungs, bones, brain or spinal cord.
Colon cancer is typically slow-growing, starting as a benign polyp that eventually becomes malignant. This process may occur over many years without producing any symptoms. Once colon cancer has developed, it may still be years before it is detected.
Cure is not possible for most patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, although some patients who have limited involvement of distant organs (particularly restricted to the liver and/or lung) can be cured with surgery. For others, chemotherapy is the most appropriate option.
Colon cancer, or cancer that begins in the lower part of the digestive tract, usually forms from a collection of benign (noncancerous) cells called an adenomatous polyp. Most of these polyps will not become malignant (cancerous), but some can slowly turn into cancer over the course of about 10-15 years.
If the cancer is diagnosed at a localized stage, the survival rate is 91%. If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or organs and/or the regional lymph nodes, the 5-year relative survival rate is 72%. If colon cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the 5-year relative survival rate is 13%.
Lung cancer (LC) metastatic to colon
LC is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and the second most common in women after breast cancer [15].
Depending on their size and location in the colon, serrated polyps may become cancerous. Small, serrated polyps in the lower colon, also known as hyperplastic polyps, are rarely malignant. Larger serrated polyps, which are typically flat (sessile), difficult to detect and located in the upper colon, are precancerous.
Polyps are benign, meaning that they're not cancer and they won't spread, but over time certain types can develop into cancer. One of these types is called adenomatous polyps. These are known as pre-cancerous polyps. Polyps bigger than 1 centimeter have a greater cancer risk than polyps under 1 centimeter.
The mean number of endoscopically detected polyps per procedure was 1.5 ± 2.3 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.4 – 1.6).
Cancerous polyps tend to grow slowly. It is estimated that the polyp dwell time, the time needed for a small adenoma to transform into a cancer, may be on average 10 years (17). Evidence from the heyday of barium enema examinations indicates that most polyps do not grow or grow very slowly (18).
Research indicates that as many as 60 percent of polyps may grow back within three years. Also, about 30 percent of patients who've had polyps removed will develop new ones. This is why it is important to talk to the care team about follow-up screening within five years after the polyps are removed.
The removed polyp tissue is checked for cancer by looking at it under a microscope. If cancer cells are found, surgery might be needed because the cancer may have spread beyond the polyp. But if your provider thinks the cancer is only in the polyp that was removed and hasn't spread, you may not need surgery.
They can occur anywhere in the large intestine or rectum, but are more commonly found in the left colon, sigmoid colon, or rectum.
They look like bumps growing from the inside lining of the bowel protruding out. They sometimes grow on a “stalk” and look like mushrooms. Some polyps can be flat.
It takes approximately 10 years for a small polyp to develop into cancer.
Now, as cells with mutations build up on the lining of your colon, they can form a small cluster that appears as a polyp. The polyp can enlarge, as mutated cells start growing faster and living longer. Eventually, in this all this activity, it's possible that a mutation takes a cancerous turn.
A gastroenterologist, the specialist who usually performs a colonoscopy, can't tell for certain if a colon polyp is precancerous or cancerous until it's removed and examined under a microscope.
For patients with more advanced colon cancer, life expectancy depends on if we can cure them so that the cancer doesn't come back. If so, their life expectancy should be close to normal. Colon cancer patients who don't have a recurrence can live as long as they would otherwise.