Gottumukkala Raju, MD
Gottumukkala Raju, MD, professor of medicine, department of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, MD Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas, Houston.
When you wake up from a colonoscopy, what you want to hear is that your doctor found nothing whatsoever. As for next best — it gets a little more complicated!
Polyps come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and those are only two of the many variables your doctor will weigh in determining the medical significance of your results. How many were found and where? Did they look like mushrooms or pancakes or something altogether different? This information holds important clues about your future health and risk for colon cancer. The research on this subject is intense and ongoing, so I called Dr. Gottumukkala Raju, a professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and a leading expert on colon cancer, to find out exactly what we all should know about our colonoscopy results.
Dr. Raju told me that there are many different types of polyps, each with different risks. Among the most commonly found sizes and shapes…
Not surprisingly, the larger a polyp is, the more dangerous — with the greatest risk associated with those more than a centimeter wide.
Upon removal, a polyp is sent to a pathologist for diagnosis, where it is looked at for different cell structures that signal more about cancer risk.
You may see one of the following terms in your pathology report…
Another level of classification describes the appearance of the cells. Cells that look immature are called “low grade,” while mature-looking ones are “high grade.” High-grade dysplasia describes cells that look like cancer (and are close to becoming cancerous) but are still contained and have not breached the inner lining of the colon.
Dr. Raju said that gastroenterologists usually snip out all polyps during a colonoscopy. A second surgery may be necessary to remove larger polyps and/or if the colonoscopy shows that cancer is present.
A colonoscopy takes about 20 to 30 minutes, but you’re likely to feel groggy for several hours afterward. As soon as you’re reasonably alert, the doctor tells you the basic results of the test. But since you may not be completely clear-headed then, it’s usually smarter to follow up in a few days or after you get results of the biopsy… at which time you can also discuss what the findings mean, whether any follow-up is required — and when you’ll need to get your next colonoscopy.