Question about colonoscopy

betina61

What are the guidelines that your doctors have followed for colonoscopies? this is my third year after surgery and previous colonoscopies have been clear, on the first one 6 month after surgery they found a small polyp that was bening, is it once a year for the first 5 years? I made the appoitment to get it with the surgeon office for the 24 of this month,without talking to him or asking if I needed one, and yesterday my uncologist told me that why I don't call the surgeon office and ask to have my file checked because maybe I could skip it this year, what do you think? should I go ahead and do it anyway?

tiny one

colonoscopy
I would have the nurse ask your surgeon if he wants to do one this year. I think each doctor might want to screen each year up to 5 years, then if the colonoscopy has been clear, they might have you go longer.

PGLGreg

follow up colonoscopies
The timing and frequency differ from case to case. I was scheduled for one after a year, then once every three years. However, my gastroenterologist told me that this schedule was negotiated with the insurance companies, and his own opinion was that my colonoscopies would better be done yearly. (He gave me some statistics comparing how frequently polyps are missed versus how frequently colons are punctured during the procedure -- punctures are quite rare.)

I guess, in your shoes, I might tend to have it done, but I don't think there's an obvious right answer.

--Greg

Sundanceh

Yearly
Once you've had rectal or colon cancer, you should consider yourself a LIFER and have it done every year.

I had many of them done during my 1st year of the diagnosis before and after surgery - before because they did the initial scope and then had to go in another time to stain dye the area to be resected. After because they were trying to cauterize all the multiple leaks I had, was bleeding blood after the surgery for awhile.

I've had them done every year since - this year would be #6 - insurance will not deny you a scope once you've had this type of Cancer.

Now ask yourself this question - do you want to take a chance and begin skipping years and doing it every once in awhile? Or would you rather do it yearly and stay on top of it?

Granted it takes years for the tumors to grow, but I for one, do not want to give the polyps any time to gather up its forces and settle in down there again. I avoided a colostomy narrowly and have no more wiggle room should Cancer come back in that area - if it did, the decision would be made for me and I would not be a happy guy.

I would err on the side of precaution. Click on my avatar name for my story and you can see why I will get scopes yearly for the rest of my days.

They had told me once I had the resection that I would never have Cancer there again, but 6 months later, they too found a polyp that they missed - it was precancerous and we cut it out, but that had me going.

I would rather do them year after year and have them tell me I'm clean versus skipping and then worrying in the back of my mind if they missed other ones and by skipping allowing them to form.

Ok, that's my take - I'm outta here.

All the best
-Craig

PhillieG

Sundanceh said:

Yearly
Once you've had rectal or colon cancer, you should consider yourself a LIFER and have it done every year.

I had many of them done during my 1st year of the diagnosis before and after surgery - before because they did the initial scope and then had to go in another time to stain dye the area to be resected. After because they were trying to cauterize all the multiple leaks I had, was bleeding blood after the surgery for awhile.

I've had them done every year since - this year would be #6 - insurance will not deny you a scope once you've had this type of Cancer.

Now ask yourself this question - do you want to take a chance and begin skipping years and doing it every once in awhile? Or would you rather do it yearly and stay on top of it?

Granted it takes years for the tumors to grow, but I for one, do not want to give the polyps any time to gather up its forces and settle in down there again. I avoided a colostomy narrowly and have no more wiggle room should Cancer come back in that area - if it did, the decision would be made for me and I would not be a happy guy.

I would err on the side of precaution. Click on my avatar name for my story and you can see why I will get scopes yearly for the rest of my days.

They had told me once I had the resection that I would never have Cancer there again, but 6 months later, they too found a polyp that they missed - it was precancerous and we cut it out, but that had me going.

I would rather do them year after year and have them tell me I'm clean versus skipping and then worrying in the back of my mind if they missed other ones and by skipping allowing them to form.

Ok, that's my take - I'm outta here.

All the best
-Craig

True Craig
It''s better to err on the side of too many.

nudgie

How Often
After speaking with both my Primary Care Doctor, GI Doc and my Oncologist, they basically left it up to me for peace of mind issues, but they did state:

Primary Care Dr - Every 3-5 yrs.
Oncologoist - Yrly until 5 years NED from Dx of Cancer, than 1 every 3 yrs
GI Doc - Had one 2007, all clear. Suggested one every 3 -5 years, but would accommodate my request.

betina61

Thanks to everyone
Good advices from all of you,I'll get my colonoscopy on the 24.