The Colon Club

Hi folks! I had my 3 month follow up colonoscopy to check on how the site is doing where they removed a large polyp. There looked to be a small polyp-type thing near the site, although the doc said it wasn't a polyp. Nonetheless they removed it - whatever it was, some type of elevation - and they are doing a biopsy on it. The other "two-week-wait".

Is this a common thing that people have heard of, i.e. regrowth of some scar tissue where the polyp once was? My understanding is that we generally don't want to find anything regrowing back at the same site... generally not a good sign.

Anyhow just reaching out to see people's experience on this.

I don't want to alarm you BUTT please stay on top of this. My first scope pathology was also tubulovillous adenoma negative for high grade dysplasia. The area was large and removed over 2 seperate scopes. The follow up scope 6 months later was clean; multiple biopsies taken of the site. My next scope was schedule for one year and revealed a regrowth at the site; this time high grade dysplasia was present. We finally proceeded with my sigmoid colon resection (I wanted it after the first scope) and the pathology from this was Stage III colon cancer.

Best wishes for better news than mine although I'm thankful it wasn't worse. Keep us posted!

Thanks MStarnes. Wishing you a full, fast and complete recovery.

Question: why did you get the screening? How old are you [edit: just saw your age]? Family history of what?

Other question: what did they take biopsies of on your 6 months follow up? Just random colon tissue?

Third Question: How did you score a year follow up? That is as diligent as you can be. Most endos will recommend 3 years (as mine has) - but based on some stories from this site, it seems 1 year is the safest measure.

fourth question: why did they do a sigmoid resection for high grade dysplasia? how much colon was resected? That seems like a drastic measure for HGD, I'm guessing they suspected something was up??

Anyhow do keep us posted. It seems like you really did the most you can do in terms of screening, prevention, etc.

Colon King wrote:Hi folks! I had my 3 month follow up colonoscopy to check on how the site is doing where they removed a large polyp. There looked to be a small polyp-type thing near the site, although the doc said it wasn't a polyp. Nonetheless they removed it - whatever it was, some type of elevation - and they are doing a biopsy on it. The other "two-week-wait".

Is this a common thing that people have heard of, i.e. regrowth of some scar tissue where the polyp once was? My understanding is that we generally don't want to find anything regrowing back at the same site... generally not a good sign.

Anyhow just reaching out to see people's experience on this.

Hi Colon king, How big was your tubulovillous adenoma when they took it out? I am 36/f. I had a 1.2 cm tubulovillous adenoma (benign) took out during a colonoscopy at age 34 in 2014. I am scheduled for a repeat colonoscopy next month. I am nervous about it. I have a great GI doctor w/ a wonderful bedside manner, and he seemed to do a great job w/ my last colonoscopy, but I'm dreading another scope. I just don't like these tests. I'm hoping my next scope shows no regrowth where original polyp was taken out. My GI doctor said in 2014 I didn't need another scope for 3 years, but I pushed him to do it in 2 years since I had this rare polyp at age 34. Ironically, my husband's first wife passed away from colon cancer at age 24. She was diagnosed with stage IV at 20. I hate he's going through all of this GI stuff again, but I want to stay on top of it all... However, I feel very blessed first polyp was benign. He & I have two kids together, so I have to stay healthy for them. Prayers your pathology comes back benign. I'll let you know what my scope says as well... keep us updated.

Colon King wrote:Hi folks! I had my 3 month follow up colonoscopy to check on how the site is doing where they removed a large polyp. There looked to be a small polyp-type thing near the site, although the doc said it wasn't a polyp. Nonetheless they removed it - whatever it was, some type of elevation - and they are doing a biopsy on it. The other "two-week-wait".

Is this a common thing that people have heard of, i.e. regrowth of some scar tissue where the polyp once was? My understanding is that we generally don't want to find anything regrowing back at the same site... generally not a good sign.

Anyhow just reaching out to see people's experience on this.

Hi Colon king, How big was your tubulovillous adenoma when they took it out? I am 36/f. I had a 1.2 cm tubulovillous adenoma (benign) took out during a colonoscopy at age 34 in 2014. I am scheduled for a repeat colonoscopy next month. I am nervous about it. I have a great GI doctor w/ a wonderful bedside manner, and he seemed to do a great job w/ my last colonoscopy, but I'm dreading another scope. I just don't like these tests. I'm hoping my next scope shows no regrowth where original polyp was taken out. My GI doctor said in 2014 I didn't need another scope for 3 years, but I pushed him to do it in 2 years since I had this rare polyp at age 34. Ironically, my husband's first wife passed away from colon cancer at age 24. She was diagnosed with stage IV at 20. I hate he's going through all of this GI stuff again, but I want to stay on top of it all... However, I feel very blessed first polyp was benign. He & I have two kids together, so I have to stay healthy for them. Prayers your pathology comes back benign. I'll let you know what my scope says as well... keep us updated.

Hey Pathfinder! My adenoma was (wow I had to go look at my report) - 3cm x 4 cm. So yours was actually small by most standards on these boards. ;-P Some people have reported really massive BENIGN polyps. I know, right? Weird. Google says there's only one kind of large polyp... but Google doesn't always know.

It is weird... how many people regularly have follow up screening tests? Virtually all of us. On the one hand these tests are so important - the results could dictate the rest of our lives. And yet most people go for screening tests and take the process so chill. It's kind of stressful waiting for the biopsy - chances are it's nothing. On the other hand there could be something. Who knows? Everyone's got an "expiration date".

My wife asked me if I was relieved now that the colonoscopy was done with. Actually, the 2 Dulcolax in the morning and 2 pico-salax at night is the easiest fast. Then the colonoscopy is rather pleasant, if you get a good anesthesiologist... giggles then goodnight.

anyhow do keep us posted on your easy fast, smooth scope, and good results. I'll do the same.

Thanks for your encouraging words colon king! Yes, I have seen all sorts of polyp sizes on here, and read so many different things online about polyps, types, when to be scoped, etc. I guess that's why I pushed my GI doctor to scope me earlier than 3 years. Let us know what your pathology results say, I will let you know how my upcoming scope goes as well. Have a wonderful week, & best wishes...

Pathfinder: I hope that your upcoming colonoscopy goes well and that there is no growth!*hugs*

MStarnes: I hope your treatment goes well!*hugs*

Colon King: I am glad that you are having another colonoscopy and hope it goes well!*hugs*

Thanks so much Darkness embraced. I hope all of your upcoming visits and tests are benign as well. I have read a lot on these adenoma polyps but still get confused. Is a villous adenoma more serious than a tubulovillous? Mine was tubulovillous pedunculated. Also, do all of these polyps start out tubular, then progress to tubulovillous, then villous?? Thanks, even with all I've read, still get confused.

My radiologist friend thought I was smart when I cited "research" suggesting that the "pathways" from tubular to adenocarcinoma is "unknown". So yes I think tubular is the friendliest, then the hybrid, then the villous and then the bad stuff. But the mechanism of change is not always understood, e.g. sometimes the things skip steps or become bad guys in unpredictable ways.

I am going back to preparing my vitamin cocktail for the week. Curcumin, B6, aspirin, all the good stuff...

Colon King wrote:My radiologist friend thought I was smart when I cited "research" suggesting that the "pathways" from tubular to adenocarcinoma is "unknown". So yes I think tubular is the friendliest, then the hybrid, then the villous and then the bad stuff. But the mechanism of change is not always understood, e.g. sometimes the things skip steps or become bad guys in unpredictable ways.

I am going back to preparing my vitamin cocktail for the week. Curcumin, B6, aspirin, all the good stuff...

Thanks colon king... that was basically my understanding as well, but wasn't sure... I take Multivitamins too, baby aspirin, and calcium carbonate (TUMS). I have two congenital cavernous angiomas in the brain (abnormal cluster of blood vessels), so I can't take a lot of aspirin. I take a baby aspirin here and there, & calcium bicarbonate mostly. I saw a GI specialist at Cleveland clinic a few months ago for a second opinion on why I had a tubulovillous adenoma so young... She thought my polyp was just a "sporadic" one. She said that the sigmoid colon is "somewhat of a high pressure area of the colon sometimes" if I remember her words correctly, and that sometimes these polyps will just form. She recommended healthy diet, exercise, aspirin, and multivitamins as well. She recommended I get a colonoscopy three years from last one, but waiting that long makes me nervous. I'm scheduled for next month, and I'll keep you guys updated.