People who have precancerous polyps completely removed should have a colonoscopy every 3-5 years, depending on the size and number of polyps found.
Your doctor may recommend that you have another colonoscopy: In 10 years, if you're at average risk of colon cancer and you have no colon cancer risk factors other than age or if you have benign small polyps.
When to return for follow-up. After polyps are removed, you will need to return for an additional colonoscopy. There is a 25% to 30% chance that a repeat colonoscopy will find additional polyps.
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. So as long as patients are screened, it is unlikely they will develop cancerous polyps.
Limit alcohol and quit all tobacco use. Stay physically active and maintain a healthy body weight. Talk to your health care provider about calcium and vitamin D. Studies have shown that increasing the intake of calcium may help prevent the return of colon adenomas.
It is considered an abnormal growth, but in many cases, they are found to be benign (commonly in the early stages). However, over time polyps can become large and malignant if they aren't treated. Many polyps are found to be pre-cancerous, which means they have the potential to turn cancerous if they aren't removed.
A precancerous polyp by itself is not malignant but if left untreated can become cancerous. It is very common for adults to have polyps in their colon. Precancerous lesions can usually be surgically extracted to avoid cancer.
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.
If your doctor finds precancerous polyps, there is no need for any additional treatment as long as they remove the entire polyp. Removing the tissue stops the development of cancer.
"Precancerous polyps are extremely common," he says. "We expect to find them in more than a quarter of the colonoscopies that we do at a minimum. So, you know, maybe a third or even a half of all patients getting [a] colonoscopy will have precancerous polyps."
The mean number of endoscopically detected polyps per procedure was 1.5 ± 2.3 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.4 – 1.6).
Colon polyps are common in American adults. Anywhere between 15 and 40 percent of adults may have colon polyps. Colon polyps are more common in men and older adults.
Polyp Growth Rates
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).
These types of polyps are not cancer, but they are pre-cancerous (meaning that they can turn into cancers). Someone who has had one of these types of polyps has an increased risk of later developing cancer of the colon. Most patients with these polyps, however, never develop colon cancer.
For patients with 1-2 sessile serrated polyps (SSPs) <10 mm in size completely removed at high-quality examination, repeat colonoscopy in 5-10 years. 12. For patients with traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs) completely removed at a high-quality examination, repeat colonoscopy in 3 years.
Almost all precancerous polyps found during colonoscopy can be completely removed during the procedure. Various removal techniques are available; most involve removing them with a wire loop or biopsy forceps, sometimes using electric current. This is called polyp resection or polypectomy.
Colonoscopy is the only cancer screening technique that can actually prevent cancer and not just detect it. Removing a precancerous or benign polyp eliminates the risk of colon or rectal cancer from developing from that growth.
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.
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.
What are precancerous polyps? Precancerous polyps are those that can become cancerous over time if they aren't removed. The most common polyps are tubular adenomas, sessile serrated adenomas and hyperplastic polyps. These names are based on what the polyps' cells look like under a microscope.
The most common treatment for an adenoma is to remove it during a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. Depending on the number and type of adenomas and how severe the dysplasia is, a bowel resection may be done. Your doctor may suggest you have regular follow-up with a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy to check for more adenomas.
Risk factors. Your risk of familial adenomatous polyposis is higher if you have a parent, child, brother, or sister with the condition.
Colon polyps are extremely common among adults 50 years of age and older, occurring in over 40 percent of individuals who undergo screening colonoscopy.
More than one polyp or a polyp that is 1 cm or bigger places you at higher risk for colon cancer. Up to 50% of polyps greater than 2 cm (about the diameter of a nickel) are cancerous.