Creator: Dr. Sadaf Mustafa
Published: 2016-09-16T05:17:24-04:00

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

My wife has been detected to have a 1.5 cm sessile polyp in descending colon in colonoscopy. One doctor said that there is nothing to be worried as it is harmless and the other says just opposite. Please give your opinion.

Answered by Dr. Sadaf Mustafa

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Before I answer your question, can you please kindly share some more information.

Is this the only polyp detected? Does she have a family history of colon cancer?

Did she have any bleeding or it was a screening colonoscopy?

Is this her first colonoscopy? If no, then what were the findings before?

Revert back with the answers to the above questions to an internal medicine physician online -->https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/internal-medicine-physician

Patient's Query

Thank you doctor,

Here are the answers. Yes, this is the only polyp detected and no other polyp is found. There is no colon cancer case in her family history. Actually, she was detected with gallstone and operated a month ago. So, a screening endoscopy and colonoscopy were done. She does not have any bleeding problem. Yes, this was her first colonoscopy.

Answered by Dr. Sadaf Mustafa

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

The serrated polyps, which are more than 10 mm have a tendency to turn into precancerous lesions. Therefore, we follow them very closely. It also depends upon the pathology results of the polyp.

Here are the guidelines for repeat colonoscopy:

Patients with serrated adenomas or polyps that are less than 10 mm and no dysplasia in pathology or biopsy should have a repeat colonoscopy at 5 year interval till they turn 75 years.
Patients with serrated adenomas or polyps of more than or equal to 10 mm and a serrated adenomas or polyps with dysplasia should undergo a repeat colonoscopy at three year interval till they turn 75 years. This is the recommendation for your wife.