colon polyp removed confirmed it was a cancer tumour..now what?

Dear Anon, this news must be pretty scary. My mom had many pre- cancer polyps removed a few years ago. She is a polyp-making machine so every two years the doctors have to remove them. If your doctor told you that your polyp was cancerous, I assume this was based on a lab result. The next thing will probably involved surgery.

If your cancer is small, localized in a polyp and in a very early stage, your surgeon may be able to remove it completely during a colonoscopy. If it is large then your doctor will need to remove it using laparoscopic surgery. Once remove, a pathologist will determine whether or not the cancer in the polyp involves the base — where the polyp is attached to the bowel wall — If it does not involve the base, then there's a good chance that the cancer was completely eliminated. Let's stay positive and hope for this option. But the polyp has to be removed and SOON!

In my mom's case, the first time they found 15 pre-cancer polyps. She has been very religious about getting her check ups every two years, each time they find new ones, not just one but 8, or 10.

You can learn more about colon cancer from the Mayo Clinic website:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cancer/DS00035

I wish you healing and prompt recovery.

Anon, I'm so sorry. I know that this must be a frightening time for you.

Please tell us about the polyp. Did they tell you how big it was? And where in the colon it was located?

Was it "graded" as Stage I, II, III or IV? Did the doctor say it had been found early?

Let's find you some information in the meantime so you can start to learn a little bit more about colon cancer.

Colon cancer is a very common cancer. When found early, it is one of the most curable. Was your colonscopy routine, or had you been having other symptoms that you were dealing with? These are some of the symptoms of colon cancer when it is a little farther along:

Chronic abdominal pain
Increased transient abdominal cramping
Yellowing or jaundice of your skin, eyes, or the underside of your tongue (due to spread to the liver)
Rectal bleeding
Change in bowel habits (narrowing of the stool, increased flatulence, increased mucous, stool that is particular malodorous, or floats to the top of the toilet water)
Blood in the stool
General weakness, or other symptoms of anemia (blood iron deficiency)

Was your polyp biopsied and then removed?

Here is one of our in-depth pages at EmpowHer that explains colon cancer, its symptoms and treatments; if you'll scroll down, it talks about the different stages:

https://www.empowher.com/media/reference/colon-cancer-common-and-curable

Treatment varies depending on the stage of the cancer. If it is contained and the surgery got it all, that may be the extent of your treatment. (Though you will have colonoscopies more often to check for recurrence). At different levels of the cancer, chemotherapy, radiation and further surgery may be called for in order to get it all and to try and make sure it cannot spread any further.

Does this information help?

Please let me know what the doctor told you about the size and stage of the cancerous polyp; that will help us find more specific information for you.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear this. Have you met with your oncologist, yet?

You'll probably be given a whole lot of information that you won't be able to process very well, because you're probably going through the shock phase. Let's hope you've been able to detect your condition early on and will have a good treatment plan in place quickly.

Please stay in touch with us and let us know how you're doing.