How long do polyps take to become cancer?

[user0786]

Posting on here for traffic.

Hi,

My dad has two yearly checks for polyps in his colon as he previously had polyps and had them removed. He was due a check up a few months ago to see if there have been new growths of polyps but he hasn't been well so he's not had the check (been a bit too weak to have the laxatives the day before etc as it makes him even more weak).

Should I worry and rush to get the checkup or can I wait a few months until he recovers from feeling unwell? Could it have become cancer?

Anyone?

They don’t always become cancerous.

Polyps doesn't automatically mean cancer, were the last ones removed because they were causing problems or cancerous?

My dad recently had some polyps. They told him he had five years to have them removed. Were your dad's cancerous?

Not all polyps become cancerous and if they do it takes about 5 years from them to develop into cancer - according to the gastro consultant I work with colon cancer is quite a lazy one
Bearing in mind the preparation for a colonoscopy is quite brutal then then I would leave it until he is feeling stronger

Sorry to hop on this post. I keep reading about polyps taking 5-10 years to turn cancerous (if they're going to).
My dad had a colonoscopy a couple of days ago which they say showed a 'malignant looking polypoid lesion'

What I can't understand is that he had a pretty brutal bowel surgery in 2021 and a colonoscopy prior to that which didn't show a polyp. How is it possible that in those few years his is cancerous already?

I have my colon polyps removed every 2 years too. My own doctor actually told me 15-20 years average from a brand new polyp to cancer. Something like 5 years from benign to low grade precancerous, 5 years to high grade and then another 5 years to become cancer. That's on average though, and with any screening there is a chance a polyp will be missed. So every 2 years just helps keep on top of it and makes sure nothing gets missed or has the chance to take hold.
If your dad has these colonoscopies for screening purposes and doesn't have symptoms then he really should be fine to wait a few months this time. The prep is really intense so he has to be well enough for it. Please don't worry 🙂

@flaffydaffy I'm holding on to your post and hoping they've got my dads diagnosis wrong. He has had multiple colonoscopies over the years, bowel surgery, stoma and reversal and no polyps were picked up.

Unless of course all those things have caused is to happen more quickly...

I'm sorry about your dad, you must be worried sick x

I have polyps that have to be scanned every year. Due to Covid and other life stuff, I completely forgot to book my appointments for 3 years in a row. Went recently and they had actually shrunk. Polyps don't all become cancerous.

Thanks @flaffydaffy . I am. I just want to know what we're dealing with. The waiting is the worst