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Family history of bowel cancer and polyps

Posted , 4 users are following.

marie13049
marie13049

As above my sister is recovering from bowel cancer she is 75. My two brothers and my other sister have also got polyp removed.all benign. They are all abroad and they have been advised to rescope in 1 yr and in 3 yrs if everything ok and no polyp found. I am in the uk and had a colonscopy two months ago a polyp was removed and it was found to be tubulovillious sddnoma with low grade dysphasia. No evidence of any malignancy . I was advised to be rescope in 5 yrs. I am a bit concerned whether 5 yrs are too long whereas my siblings are being rescope after 1 yr. I wonder whether I should raise this with my gp. Thanks

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • jan48389
    jan48389 marie13049

    Posted

    I had a small benign polyp removed 2 years ago during a colonoscopy and was advised I didn't need another colonoscopy for 5 years. I think that is the usual length of time applied in the UK if there are no other indications of anything amiss. 

    Jan

  • etheremail
    etheremail marie13049

    Posted

    Obviously it does depend on number of polyps and what it or they looked like. One polyp of your kind sounds a very normal finding if you are over 60 and every year for you sounds a bit too much to me particularly as the clear out procedure is quite debilitating. So I would be inclined to go for 3 unless you develop any kind of unusual or different gut symptoms in which case I would get one at that point whenever it is.
  • dimmy
    dimmy marie13049

    Posted

    Hi Marie

     I have had bowel cancer twice in 2004 and 2009 (2 seperate cases not a reccurance). My 2 Uncles on both sides of the family had it too ( Dad`s Brother and Mum`s Brother)...so it is prevelant in my family. I am 60 now and will be having colonoscopies every 2 years forever as i have a genetic defect (Lynch Syndrome) whick makes me high risk. I think your GP will only agree with the consultants view of you being scoped every 5 years...but you can raise your concerns with your GP or maybe contact your consultant directly?

    • marie13049
      marie13049 dimmy

      Posted

      Thanks Dimmy I will email the consultant's secretary and asked for his advice. 

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