Is it possible for a rectal polyp to grow to 10cm aggressive T4 advanced tumour in 3 years?
Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 2:37 pm
Hi there
Hopefully I can gain some advice as to how long it took for my tumour to grow. All the experts I asked were very evasive stating its difficult to say but it could be many years.
My main reason for establishing the timeline is that in March 2011 I had a sigmoidoscopy and haemorrhoid banding. I had blood in my stools for sometime and eventually plucked up the courage to have it looked into. My consultant said it was internal haemorrhoids but that needed banding but would also carry out a sigmoidoscopy to check further.
After the procedure, my consultant visited and confirmed all was ok. He highlighted signs of diverticulitis but did not require treatment. He also mentioned a small cluster of [I'm sure he said polyps] about a cm or so in size but there was nothing to be concerned about but it would be advised to check again in 10>15 years. Being a typical man, I heard all ok, 10>15 years and hot footed it out of there!
In 2012 I had changes in bowell, soft stools and some blood occasionally. I also lost weight but as I was actively looking to do so and was eating healthily and gym/swimming/yoga everyday, taking protein shakes etc just put it down to the fitness regime, and 'the haemorrhoids must've returned!
In April 2014, I 'hit a brick wall' in terms of energy. I had such bad fatigue I could hardly get out of bed.
I had various blood tests then an Endoscopy when they discovered the tumour. I was advised it was very 'bad' one of the worst they had seen and I would be referred for advice etc. I had a meeting with the surgeon who said the tumour was inoperable and I was referred to oncology for chemo and radiotherapy treatment. The mood then changed more positively when the oncologist said that as I was so fit, it would work in my favour as I will deal with the treatment better. No guarantee but...
Thankfully after a year of treatment, I eventually had an operation and I'm still here to type this query!
The answers I would love to establish are:
1. Can a polyp grow that fast to that size in three years?
2. Is it possible that there wasn't a polyp there three years prior but in that time a polyp grew and then developed into the tumour in that time?
3. In my medical records there wasn't polyps mentioned. Is that normal?
4. In the consultation after the sigmoidoscopy, where the 10>15 year diagnosis was made, could the small cluster referred to be anything other than polyps?
I have been advised that it is best practice to remove polyps when discovered, in fact during my last colonoscopy two weeks ago, I observed them remove one. It was after that procedure, when it was evident that that polyp had taken 2 years to grow as it wasn't there in 2016, that made me question what I was told in 2011 and that had the polyp been removed in 2011 I would have avoided this nightmare.
Any expert advice I receive would be most helpful.
Kind Regards
Hopefully I can gain some advice as to how long it took for my tumour to grow. All the experts I asked were very evasive stating its difficult to say but it could be many years.
My main reason for establishing the timeline is that in March 2011 I had a sigmoidoscopy and haemorrhoid banding. I had blood in my stools for sometime and eventually plucked up the courage to have it looked into. My consultant said it was internal haemorrhoids but that needed banding but would also carry out a sigmoidoscopy to check further.
After the procedure, my consultant visited and confirmed all was ok. He highlighted signs of diverticulitis but did not require treatment. He also mentioned a small cluster of [I'm sure he said polyps] about a cm or so in size but there was nothing to be concerned about but it would be advised to check again in 10>15 years. Being a typical man, I heard all ok, 10>15 years and hot footed it out of there!
In 2012 I had changes in bowell, soft stools and some blood occasionally. I also lost weight but as I was actively looking to do so and was eating healthily and gym/swimming/yoga everyday, taking protein shakes etc just put it down to the fitness regime, and 'the haemorrhoids must've returned!
In April 2014, I 'hit a brick wall' in terms of energy. I had such bad fatigue I could hardly get out of bed.
I had various blood tests then an Endoscopy when they discovered the tumour. I was advised it was very 'bad' one of the worst they had seen and I would be referred for advice etc. I had a meeting with the surgeon who said the tumour was inoperable and I was referred to oncology for chemo and radiotherapy treatment. The mood then changed more positively when the oncologist said that as I was so fit, it would work in my favour as I will deal with the treatment better. No guarantee but...
Thankfully after a year of treatment, I eventually had an operation and I'm still here to type this query!
The answers I would love to establish are:
1. Can a polyp grow that fast to that size in three years?
2. Is it possible that there wasn't a polyp there three years prior but in that time a polyp grew and then developed into the tumour in that time?
3. In my medical records there wasn't polyps mentioned. Is that normal?
4. In the consultation after the sigmoidoscopy, where the 10>15 year diagnosis was made, could the small cluster referred to be anything other than polyps?
I have been advised that it is best practice to remove polyps when discovered, in fact during my last colonoscopy two weeks ago, I observed them remove one. It was after that procedure, when it was evident that that polyp had taken 2 years to grow as it wasn't there in 2016, that made me question what I was told in 2011 and that had the polyp been removed in 2011 I would have avoided this nightmare.
Any expert advice I receive would be most helpful.
Kind Regards