polyps after remission

madu
madu Member Posts: 53
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Here's the scoop - I'm a 7 1/2 year stage IV rectal sigmoid survivor (yeah!). I've been in remission for over 7 years (double yeah!). Had my check up in Jan - CT, chest Xray and bloodwork - and everything's clean. Had my c-scope yesterday and they found a polyp. Noone seems to be overly concerned although they are obviously running tests. I'll find out more later this week. Guess I'm wondering if this has happened to anyone else and how much I should be freaking and/or bracing for potentially bad news. I know polyps can be benign (heck it happened to my co-worker just last week with 3 benign polyps) but I don't know if it's somehow different when it's someone with a history of colon cancer. I'm pretty calm at this point but I'm the kind of person who likes to be prepared. Any insight from anyone?

Heidi

Comments

  • lfondots63
    lfondots63 Member Posts: 818 Member
    #2
    Hi Heidi,

    CONGRATS on the 7 years!!!! I would say that you should stay positive. They just might be benign like you said. I'm sure others will chime in who have had this experience. Sending good vibes your way for good results from the tests. I think the waiting is the hardest.

    Lisa
  • madu
    madu Member Posts: 53
    #3
    lfondots63 said:

    Hi Heidi,

    CONGRATS on the 7 years!!!! I would say that you should stay positive. They just might be benign like you said. I'm sure others will chime in who have had this experience. Sending good vibes your way for good results from the tests. I think the waiting is the hardest.

    Lisa

    Hey Lisa,

    Thanks for the positive brain waves! I am pretty thrilled about the 7 year part so I can't complain toooo much! I just hate to be blindsided and I've spend too much time (poor me, I know) on the positive end of the news spectrum that my defenses are not as shored up as they were during year 1 and 2. I am calm and just trying to be prepared!

    Heidi
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    Thanks for sharing that wonderful news of being 7 years in remission with stage IV diagnosis! The is so awesome and a tribute to your ability to fight to keep the beast at bay and in your faith while doing so. Can't comment much about your situation but I will share that I myself had my first colonscopy three years ago, right after my husband Bert's stage III diagnosis. No history of the disease in my family and what they found were two pre-cancerous polyps that they snipped away and told me to go on with my life. Having 7 yeas remission is as good as any indcator to me that you will be just fine and this polyp thing is probably something that you may be prone to since your original diagnosis came as a result of a one time polyp that had time to do it's thing. Worst case scenario, the one that they just found didn't have time to do anything :o) if it even is something at all.

    Best wishes,
    Monika
  • madu
    madu Member Posts: 53
    #5
    unknown said:

    Thanks for sharing that wonderful news of being 7 years in remission with stage IV diagnosis! The is so awesome and a tribute to your ability to fight to keep the beast at bay and in your faith while doing so. Can't comment much about your situation but I will share that I myself had my first colonscopy three years ago, right after my husband Bert's stage III diagnosis. No history of the disease in my family and what they found were two pre-cancerous polyps that they snipped away and told me to go on with my life. Having 7 yeas remission is as good as any indcator to me that you will be just fine and this polyp thing is probably something that you may be prone to since your original diagnosis came as a result of a one time polyp that had time to do it's thing. Worst case scenario, the one that they just found didn't have time to do anything :o) if it even is something at all.

    Best wishes,
    Monika

    Hey Monika,

    That's a good way to look at it - that helps. I guess the only thing that's weird is that I never had a polyp show up during a c-scope after my diagnosis. I used to have a c-scope every year but this is the first time we went two years. I can only hope it's benign or so "young" it's not too dangerous - esp. since my CT was clean just two and 1/2 months ago. Guess we'll see. My co-worker found out by Weds. so I hope I will find out tomorrow.

    Heidi
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #6
    I can understand your concern, but it seems to me that everything is working exactly as it should: you are having regular tests, they found something probably benign, and removed it -- that's what is supposed to happen. Please let us know the results but I am certainly betting it is benign. I was told that my malignant tumour (rectal) probably took 5-10 years to grow. And a huge percentage of the general populations does have polyps. Hang in there! Best wishes. Tara
    ps 7 years!! Yea!! You are my hero!
  • andyc56
    andyc56 Member Posts: 42
    #7
    Heidi, stay positive, you're probably fine. My wife (stage IIIc) had 4 polyps removed when she was diagnosed, and only one was malignant. And my father-in-law (a 20-year stage II survivor) recently had 3 polyps removed and all were benign. Hope this helps, and best wishes!

    Andy
  • spongebob
    spongebob Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #8
    Ahoy, Heidi -

    I don't want to lull you into a false sense of security, but I have had polyps (multiple and, with three of them, bleeding) since being Dx-ed NED. All were pre-cancerous. That's why I'm on an annual scope sked for the rest of my days. "Nip 'em in the bud"...

    The good news is that the docs nipped yours. Better news if they are benign! best news is:
    7+ years NED and if the polyps are benign, you have a reason to have a party! Break out the ice and Captain Morgan!! Woo-Hoo!!

    - SpongeBob
  • ron50
    ron50 Member Posts: 1,723 Member
    #9
    G'day heidi,
    Well done on 7+ years from st4,I'm 8+years from stage 3 6/13 nodes bad. I've had seven scopes in 8 years and they remove one or two on average every second scope. They take about three years to get old enough to even be likely to be a problem but like SB I never give the little suckers an even break . Best of luck ,keep up the good work,Ron.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #10
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • madu
    madu Member Posts: 53
    #11
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Thank you all for your comments. It does help me to know this has happened to others and come to nothing or not much. Nip it in the bud indeed! I do figure I've bought myself an annual ticket to a c-scope (darn it!). STill haven't heard! and my coworker heard by this point. Oh well -we have Thurs and Fri off so I can get the news in the comfort of my home now.

    I guess the thing that's made me a little shaky is what happened to my boss's husband - 2 1/2 years out from stage II or III rectal, clean CT in Oct, scope in Jan. with a snip of scar tissue that turned out to be cancerous. Now he's on the chemo/radiation route again. Can you imagine - just 3 months from clean to cancer - yikes!

    Oh well - I will go into my zen state (hee hee) and await the news. Nothing I can do about it at this point.

    Heidi
  • carmen07
    carmen07 Member Posts: 120 Member
    #12
    Heidi,
    My husband Stage 4 had a colonscopy last month and they removed a polp. The polp was not cancerous. The important thing is you got the polp removed.
    Congrats on 71/2 years. You give me hope! Prays your way for good results!

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