Post Chemo Colonoscopy, Two Polyps

[newmexico]

Had a LAR in January to remove a tumor in my sigmoid colon and six months of adjuvant Xeloda because of a single lymph node testing positive. I had my post-chemo CT scan last month which revealed no abnormalities. My oncologist said I had No Evidence of Disease.

This morning I had my post-chemo colonoscopy and the GI doc removed two polyps and said that the anastomosis site was red. He sent biopsies of both polyps and I guess some tissue from the anastomosis site to the lab for testing. He said I would hear something within two weeks.

The question is, should I be concerned because my colon is still growing polyps, even after treatment? Is there any correlation between polyps and CC recurrence?

I've been walking around thinking I dodged a huge bullet and I'm essentially cured, but after the colonoscopy this morning I'm starting to wonder if I'm just in for more of the same, sometime down the road.

[meatie]

Are the two polyp located near the anastomosis site?

[newmexico]

Meatie:

No, one polyp is in the ascending colon and one in the transverse colon. The anastomosis is in the rectum.

[chemo sabe]

When you get a colonoscopy, they pump a bunch of air into your colon in an effort to smooth out that organ and make everything visible. Right after I was diagnosed with a tumor on my descending colon and flat polyps on my ascending colon, my surgeon gave me another colonoscopy so he could see exactly what he was going to have to deal with. The bottom line is that 2 weeks after diagnosis, my surgeon found another polyp!!. That does not mean my GI doc did a poor job, it means that organ is a wrinkled mess and polyps can be hidden.

No one knows what causes polyps, that is the holy grail of CRC. Adjuvant Chemo tries to destroy cancer, not pre-cancerous polyps.

[orcasres]

My husband has had UC for over 40 years and has been scoped every 2-3 years since diagnosed. He just had his colonoscopy and had a polyp which turned out to be just that a polyp. One thing I have learned is that GI docs are pretty good at knowing when they see cancer. They have to do the biopsies but they usually turn out just fine when the docs seem unconcerned. Two weeks is a long time to wait though. Maybe you can get some info earlier if you call. That may be the time it takes for them to mail you results. BTW, did your prep go well? Sounds like they got a good look. Lois

[daisydaisy]

dear newmexico, I just wanted to add that they found a polyp during my mom's first colonoscopy post chemo as well, it is something like 2 mm or less, and the doc said it was probably there during the first colonoscopy, it was just not visible then, since she didn't do her prep well. Here in Russia they don't remove polyps during colonoscopy, you need to go to hospital for a couple of days for that, so the doc said another colonoscopy in about 4 months to see if it is growing and then polypectomy (which is actually removal of polyps). I am very upset, since every colonoscopy is a big stress for my mom, she is having difficulties swallowing lots of liquids, too. I don't know why we have it this way here. On the other hand, they still do a colonoscopy without any sedation, totally live, so to say. We found one place that does it with sedation, otherwise she would never go for it. So, newmexico, your polyps are out, they are tiny, they might not even be pre-cancerous. Doc says that after 50 years almost everyone has them, it's not a very big deal. But I am going to take care of that one my mom has ASAP.
Good luck and best wishes!