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A question for anyone here

outdoorgirl
outdoorgirl CSN Member Posts: 1,565
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I've got a question. My father in law is a prostate cancer survivor and just had a colonoscopy where they found 3 polyps that were precancerous. They just said that they wanted to see him again in 5 years for another screening. Is this standard? Especially for someone who has his health history?
Thanks in advance,
Outdoorgirl
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Comments

  • John23
    John23 CSN Member Posts: 2,121 Member
    #2
    Opinions..

    Re:
    "they found 3 polyps that were precancerous"

    I figure that every cell in my body can be "precancerous", but that aside...

    In my opinion, a colonoscopy every year, or at least every other year,
    would seem reasonable for his age, and the fact he's had cancer already.

    If the doctor hasn't been questioned yet, I would make a point of asking,
    and maybe start looking for a different doctor.

    By the way.... It's as important to get a second opinion for a negative
    test, as it is for a positive one. It's yer life... ya'know?

    Good luck

    John
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  • lcarper2
    lcarper2 CSN Member Posts: 635 Member
    #3
    outdoor girl
    I had precancerous polyps removed and given the green light but still had problems and ask the doctor what else we could do never thinking I had cancer but he did a c scan and 2 hrs later called and told me to get the the ER I had a mass it truned out to be a soft ball size tumor on my colon now 1/2 through chemo . I said this to say have a c scan done don't take the doctors word. They make mistakes too.
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  • neon356
    neon356 CSN Member Posts: 137 Member
    #4
    Outdoorgirl,
    I
    Outdoorgirl,
    I get a routine colonoscopy every 3 years since my cancer, and at my routine screening 2 years ago the Doc found 2 precancerous polyps. He was able to snip 1 out, but he said that the other one was too flat to cut out. He told me to have another colonoscopy in one year. I had the next one the year later,(last May), and the polyp had disappeared on its own. But I gotta tell ya, that year of waiting with the thought of the beast possibly back was sheer hell for me. I don't know how I'd been able to handle it if I had been told to wait another five years before another check. So that was my experience. I was told to wait a year, not five. If I were you I'd get one sooner than 5 years, that seems to me an awfully long time to wait.
    Carl
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  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg CSN Member Posts: 731
    #5
    I don't know what's
    I don't know what's standard, and so far as I know, prostate cancer does not make CRC cancer any more likely. But 5 years seems a long time. Why don't you make a note to check back at 3 years? See what they say then, or if you're rolling in dough, maybe even pay for it yourself.
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  • fedester
    fedester CSN Member Posts: 753 Member
    #6
    wow
    i had my scope 12/14 and dr found cancerous polyp.
    he took all he could get but wasn't 100% so i had colon resection surgery to be sure and nothing was there.
    my last scope was 2 years ago, so now i go every year because of this past scope
    be well
    never,ever give up!!
    bruce
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  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 CSN Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #7
    Hmm...
    I would certainly be concerned about waiting that long.

    *hugs*
    Gail
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  • Buzzard
    Buzzard CSN Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    #8
    tootsie1 said:

    Hmm...
    I would certainly be concerned about waiting that long.

    *hugs*
    Gail

    With finding 3 pre polyps....
    I would go every year until they found none then every 2 years and kind of go from there. If he went back in a year and didn't have any then I would make it 2 years, if none then 3 and so forth...If this was his first colonoscopy and 3 were found then no one can be sure how slow or fast it took them to get there...I would go again next year...at least until he checks clean...
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  • ann2008
    ann2008 CSN Member Posts: 118
    #9
    outdoorgirl
    I agree with everyone else that 5 yrs is too long. I had my 1yr post surgery scope in Oct and he told me to come in back 3yrs, but I will be calling him sooner if I have any question. I also have CT's and labwork ordered from oncologist. So please call him back or get 2nd opinion.
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  • Crow71
    Crow71 CSN Member Posts: 679 Member
    #10
    I also agree with what the
    I also agree with what the other's have said. 5 years seems like a long time to wait. No one is being pessimistic, just realistic. If it were me, I'd never be able to wait that long. Good luck and take care - of your father in law and yourself.
    Roger
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  • outdoorgirl
    outdoorgirl CSN Member Posts: 1,565
    #11
    Thanks for the
    replies,everyone.I am a breast cancer survivor ,had a colonoscopy some time ago where they found 1 polyp-benign. But it was enough so that even though the surgeon who did it told me see you back in 5 years,my surgeon who did my lumpectomy and partial mastectomy told me that with them finding it and my having had cancer once already that she would rather do it after 3 years. I'm taking her word for it and using her instead of the first when I have my next one.Not like I enjoy having a camera up inside of me or the prep work before(I feel for you guys!!),but like you all said,I'd rather not wait 5 whole years-I already do wonder at times just what is going on inside my body that I don't know about???
    I am going to call my mother in law back,let her know that I asked you guys and what you had to say.
    Thanks again,
    Outdoorgirl
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  • ron50
    ron50 CSN Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #12
    outdoorgirl said:

    Thanks for the
    replies,everyone.I am a breast cancer survivor ,had a colonoscopy some time ago where they found 1 polyp-benign. But it was enough so that even though the surgeon who did it told me see you back in 5 years,my surgeon who did my lumpectomy and partial mastectomy told me that with them finding it and my having had cancer once already that she would rather do it after 3 years. I'm taking her word for it and using her instead of the first when I have my next one.Not like I enjoy having a camera up inside of me or the prep work before(I feel for you guys!!),but like you all said,I'd rather not wait 5 whole years-I already do wonder at times just what is going on inside my body that I don't know about???
    I am going to call my mother in law back,let her know that I asked you guys and what you had to say.
    Thanks again,
    Outdoorgirl

    I just don't understand doctors.
    Hi Outdoorgirl. I have had precancerous polyps found since my original colon cancer. My gi insists on me having a scope every twelve months. Whilst having tests on my kidneys they did an ultrasound of my bladder. The results stated that I had a significantly enlarged prostate dimpling the bottom of my bladder. I annoyed my gp into getting a referral to a urologist who insulted me from one end of the consultation room to the other and told me to get lost,"every male your age has an enlarged prostate gland" I got in one last jibe about the meaning of the word significant then got tossed out. So much for early diagnoses. Ron (who is not fond of doctors).
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