If your doctor finds one or two polyps less than 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) in diameter, he or she may recommend a repeat colonoscopy in 7 to 10 years, depending on your other risk factors for colon cancer. Your doctor will recommend another colonoscopy sooner if you have: More than two polyps.
People who have precancerous polyps completely removed should have a colonoscopy every 3-5 years, depending on the size and number of polyps found.
Adenomas: Many colon polyps are the precancerous type, called adenomas. It can take seven to 10 or more years for an adenoma to evolve into cancer—if it ever does. Overall, only 5% of adenomas progress to cancer, but your individual risk is hard to predict.
Not all polyps pose a higher risk for colorectal cancer. But some colon cancers may start as polyps. So, the more polyps you have, the higher your cancer risk. Someone with just one or two small polyps is generally at lower risk of having or developing colon cancer than someone with three to nine, or more.
"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."
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.
The biggest risk factor for developing polyps is being older than 50. A family history of colon polyps or colon cancer increases the risk of polyps. Also, people with a personal history of polyps or colon cancer are at higher risk of developing new polyps in the future than a person who has never had a polyp.
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.
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).
Most polyps grow slowly and take from between 10 and 15 years to become cancerous. Due to this general time frame, most screenings are scheduled every 10 years which gives Colorectal Surgical Associates time to remove any polyps before they become cancerous.
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.
This means cancer and polyps can sometimes go undetected. So, despite having had a 'clear' colonoscopy, some patients go onto develop bowel cancer – referred to as post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC) or 'undetected 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.
Polyps are common in American adults, and while many colon polyps are harmless, over time, some polyps could develop into colon cancer. While the majority of colon cancers start as polyps, only 5-10% of all polyps will become cancerous.
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.
Treatments may include: removal of polyps (polypectomy) bowel resection with removal of all of the colon (total colectomy) bowel resection with removal of the rectum and part of the sigmoid colon (proctocolectomy)
Doctors treat colon polyps by removing them. In most cases, doctors use special tools during a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy to remove colon polyps. After doctors remove the polyp, they send it for testing to check for cancer. A pathologist will review the test results and send a report to your doctor.
In multivariable analysis, the presence of 5 or more polyps at index colonoscopy was found to be associated with the risk of metachronous HR-CRN (OR, 2.575, p = 0.049) after adjusting for risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, and smoking.
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.
The takeaway is that a precancerous condition doesn't mean a person has or will get cancer. It simply means a person has an increased risk of cancer, which should serve as a reminder for them to stay current with medical visits and screening tests, and communicate concerns or changes to their health care providers.
Risk factors. Your risk of familial adenomatous polyposis is higher if you have a parent, child, brother, or sister with the condition.
If it is precancerous, your GI doctor can remove the polyp at another colonoscopy appointment. You should make this polyp removal appointment a priority. The health of your digestive and elimination system is crucial to your overall health.
These stress related factors may influence colon polyp development [20,22]. Persons reporting increased levels of stress have also reported increased smoking, poor diet and low levels of physical activity [29,30]. Each of these factors have been associated with colon polyp development.
2.2.
The association of alcohol intake with colonic polyps could be particularly strong for larger adenomas [40]. Similar to CRC, the link of alcohol and polyp risk could be dose dependent; consumption of seven or more drinks/weeks increased risk of adenoma formation by odds ratio of 2.04 (95% CI, 1.28–3.26) [38].