It takes approximately 10 years for a small polyp to develop into cancer. Family history and genetics — Polyps and colon cancer tend to run in families, suggesting that genetic factors are important in their development.
Adenomas: Many colon polyps are the precancerous type, called adenomas. It can take seven to 10 or more years for an adenoma to evolve into cancer—if it ever does. Overall, only 5% of adenomas progress to cancer, but your individual risk is hard to predict.
Colon cancer, or cancer that begins in the lower part of the digestive tract, usually forms from a collection of benign (noncancerous) cells called an adenomatous polyp. Most of these polyps will not become malignant (cancerous), but some can slowly turn into cancer over the course of about 10-15 years.
The growth and mutation of colon polyps into cancer is a slow process, taking an estimated 10 years on average. So as long as patients are screened, it is unlikely they will develop cancerous polyps.
This means cancer and polyps can sometimes go undetected. So, despite having had a 'clear' colonoscopy, some patients go onto develop bowel cancer – referred to as post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC) or 'undetected cancer'.
Colon cancer is typically slow-growing, starting as a benign polyp that eventually becomes malignant. This process may occur over many years without producing any symptoms. Once colon cancer has developed, it may still be years before it is detected.
In most cases, colon and rectal cancers grow slowly over many years. Most of those cancers start as a growth called a polyp. Taking out a polyp early may keep it from turning into cancer.
It takes approximately 10 years for a small polyp to develop into cancer. Family history and genetics — Polyps and colon cancer tend to run in families, suggesting that genetic factors are important in their development.
In 1 to 7 years, depending on a variety of factors: The number, size and type of polyps removed; if you have a history of polyps in previous colonoscopy procedures; if you have certain genetic syndromes; or if you have a family history of colon cancer.
Most polyps are benign (not cancerous). Your doctor can tell if a colon polyp is cancerous during a colonoscopy by collecting tissue to biopsy. The results of the biopsy are typically sent to your doctor within a week. Only 5% to 10% of all polyps become cancerous.
Researchers performed logistic regression to assess risk factors associated with interval cancers. Among 126,851 patients who underwent colonoscopies, 2,659 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer; 6% of these colorectal cancers were found to have developed within 6 to 60 months after a colonoscopy.
Some patients under 50 experience symptoms for up to a year before seeing a doctor prompting some experts to encourage earlier screening. Many younger patients with colon cancer are initially misdiagnosed, which often leads to their disease being discovered at an advanced stage.
Colorectal cancer can occur in young adults and teenagers, but the majority of colorectal cancers occur in people older than 50. For colon cancer, the average age at the time of diagnosis for men is 68 and for women is 72.
Most colorectal cancers start as a growth on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. These growths are called polyps. Some types of polyps can change into cancer over time (usually many years), but not all polyps become cancer. The chance of a polyp turning into cancer depends on the type of polyp it is.
Polyps are common in American adults, and while many colon polyps are harmless, over time, some polyps could develop into colon cancer. While the majority of colon cancers start as polyps, only 5-10% of all polyps will become cancerous.
The risk of polyps smaller than 5 millimeters (mm) being cancerous is very low. In larger polyps, the risk of cancer increases. Colon polyps grow very slowly and often do not cause symptoms. Regular colon cancer screenings can help detect them before they become cancerous.
Most colon polyps are harmless. But over time, some colon polyps can develop into colon cancer, which may be fatal when found in its later stages. Anyone can develop colon polyps.
The doctor will then send any removed polyps to a pathologist for a biopsy to see if cancer is present. If the biopsy reveals that cancer is present, then cancer specialists will outline a treatment plan for the person. Common treatments for colon cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
The effects of the sedation could last up to a day, so you should not drive or operate any machinery until the following day. You may feel gassy or bloated for a while after the procedure because of the air that was injected into your intestine during the colonoscopy.
One factor is the location of the polyp. Detecting right-sided polyps can be more challenging due to the shape of colonic folds and need for complete colonoscopy. Right-sided lesions can be indicative of increased risk of recurrence of advanced adenomas.
Some types of colon polyps are more likely to become cancerous than others. A doctor who specializes in analyzing tissue samples (pathologist) will examine your polyp tissue under a microscope to determine whether it is potentially cancerous.
Early symptoms of colon cancer might include blood in the stool; persistent problems in defecating (long-lasting diarrhea or constipation); feelings of cramping, distension or pain in the area of the bowel; or a persistent decrease in the size of the stool.
The 3 main symptoms of bowel cancer are blood in the stools (faeces), changes in bowel habit – such as more frequent, looser stools – and abdominal (tummy) pain. However, these symptoms are very common and most people with them do not have bowel cancer.
Colon cancer is considered a silent disease. Most of the time there are no symptoms. The symptoms that people may experience include a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain, blood in the stool, and weight loss. If individuals have these symptoms, the disease may already have advanced.
Many cases of colon cancer have no symptoms. If there are symptoms, the following may indicate colon cancer: Abdominal pain and tenderness in the lower abdomen.