I know, yet another thread on colonoscopies
Disclaimer:
I don't like having colonoscopies, plus they are an invasive procedure that have a very small chance of doing serious damage. (I spent 2 days passing blood and had cramps for a week after I'd had my first colonoscopy)
Just before I ER'ed I had a routine colonoscopy screening and 1 small polyp was found and removed. The recommendation was to have another screening in 5 years. I decided to wait until at least 6 years or longer, but at this year's physical DW had a positive result on her faecal occult blood test, and since we'd paid all the deductible on this year's HI we decided to both have a colonoscopy screen before the end of the year (it has been 5.5 years since my last one, longer for DW who had a negative colonoscopy last time).
Three days ago we had our "his and hers" colonoscopy, with our son doing the driving to and from the clinic.
They found 2 small sessile polyps in me (3mm and 5mm), and 3 in DW. (the FOBT was a false positive, as the Doc had predicted)
He recommended that we have another colonoscopy in 3 years, which was not music to my ears. Since I hate the procedure I went onto the NICE site in the UK to see their recommendations. (NICE is the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and provides guidelines to the NHS in the UK).
Their recommendation is for another screening in 5 years, not 3. I've copied out the relevant sections from pages 8 and 9 of the document. For "adenoma", read colon polyp.
Thoughts?
http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13415/53641/53641.pdf
Disclaimer:
I don't like having colonoscopies, plus they are an invasive procedure that have a very small chance of doing serious damage. (I spent 2 days passing blood and had cramps for a week after I'd had my first colonoscopy)
Just before I ER'ed I had a routine colonoscopy screening and 1 small polyp was found and removed. The recommendation was to have another screening in 5 years. I decided to wait until at least 6 years or longer, but at this year's physical DW had a positive result on her faecal occult blood test, and since we'd paid all the deductible on this year's HI we decided to both have a colonoscopy screen before the end of the year (it has been 5.5 years since my last one, longer for DW who had a negative colonoscopy last time).
Three days ago we had our "his and hers" colonoscopy, with our son doing the driving to and from the clinic.
They found 2 small sessile polyps in me (3mm and 5mm), and 3 in DW. (the FOBT was a false positive, as the Doc had predicted)
He recommended that we have another colonoscopy in 3 years, which was not music to my ears. Since I hate the procedure I went onto the NICE site in the UK to see their recommendations. (NICE is the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and provides guidelines to the NHS in the UK).
Their recommendation is for another screening in 5 years, not 3. I've copied out the relevant sections from pages 8 and 9 of the document. For "adenoma", read colon polyp.
Thoughts?
http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/13415/53641/53641.pdf
Risk of developing colorectal cancer....
Low risk:
one or two adenomas smaller than 10 mm.
Intermediate risk:
three or four adenomas smaller than 10 mm or one or two adenomas if one is 10 mm or larger.
High risk:
five or more adenomas smaller than 10 mm or three or more adenomas if one is 10 mm or larger.
Offer the appropriate colonoscopic surveillance strategy to people with adenomas based on their risk of developing colorectal cancer as determined at initial adenoma removal.
Low risk: consider colonoscopy at 5 years:
if the colonoscopy is negative (that is, no adenomas are found) stop surveillance
if low risk, consider the next colonoscopy at 5 years (with follow-up surveillance as for low risk)
if intermediate risk, offer the next colonoscopy at 3 years (with follow-up surveillance as for intermediate risk)
if high risk, offer the next colonoscopy at 1 year (with follow- up surveillance as for high risk).
Intermediate risk: offer colonoscopy at 3 years:
if the colonoscopy is negative, offer the next colonoscopy at 3 years. Stop surveillance if there is a further negative result if low or intermediate risk, offer the next colonoscopy at
3 years (with follow-up surveillance as for intermediate risk) if high risk, offer the next colonoscopy at 1 year (with follow- up surveillance as for high risk).