Polyps

Hi, I have been reading the posts on this site and what I am worrying about seems minor, but I would appreciate some feedback from forum members who have had similar experience. Yesterday I went for the bowel screening offered to people 55 and over and they found and removed 1  polyp sized 2mm (according to the discharge summary). At the time I did not ask any questions as I was a bit shocked that they had found something. On discharge they gave me the discharge form with all the information about the polyp and all last night I read lots of information on the internet which I think as now put me onto a total panic. I know the sensible thing is to stay calm  and await the results and hopefully I am worrying over nothing , but I would appreciate views from other forum members who have experienced the same thing. 

  • Hi Addy64. Welcome to the forum.

    I am not a doctor and I have no medical qualifications.

    What has happened to you is very much routine, and it's nothing to worry about.

    Around 1 in 4 people get bowel polyps. Small polyps usually don't cause any symptoms, larger polyps might cause symptoms like rectal bleeding, diarrhoea or constipation, or passing mucus.  There is also a very small chance that a particuler type of polyp (called an adenoma) can turn into cancer, and it is thought that the vast majority of bowel cancers develop from adenomas.

    So, it is absolutely routine to remove all polyps at a colonoscopy.  This stops them from becoming problems in later life, and afterwards your chance of getting bowel cancer is very much reduced

    This is one of the reasons why bowel screening in your 50s is such a good idea. Your colon can be checked for problems, and those can be nipped in the bud before they go on to cause problems down the line. 

    So, you really have nothing to worry about, because now you are in a much better position than you were before.  You only had one polyp (which might or might not be an adenoma) and it's gone now.  You can relax.  

  • Thank you for the reassurance it is very much appreciated, I will take the positive approach mentioned in your last sentence.