I'm new to this forum and to cancer and
thought to call upon the experience of the
group to answer a question.
My Mother was recently diagnosed with
colon cancer, at least we think she was.
Her blood count was low enough to suggest
internal bleeding. The did a colonoscopy
and found a 4 cm polyp. The doctor who did
the colonoscopy has 30 years experience
and says that visually it appears certain
that the polyp is cancerous and needs to
be removed surgically. But then the biopsy
results came back negative for cancer.
So has anyone encountered a situation
where a biopsy result was negative, but
the polyp was still cancerous? Is it
possible that the biopsy was taken from a
non-cancerous area of the polyp and that
cancer is still present elsewhere?
I've read that any polyp that reaches 2 cm
or great is at great risk of becoming
cancer if not already. So regardless, the
polyp still needs to be removed. Surgery
is booked. It would offer a bit of peace
of mind though if we were to find out that
the biopsy result is conclusive and that,
although my mom has a 4 cm polyp, she does
not have cancer.
Thanks kindly, for reading my post and
offering any opinions.
Warm regards,
Tim
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MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1980 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Thanks: 30
Thanked:10
Posted: 10-22-07 05:31am
Is her doctor considering making another
biopsy?
Does she have somebody in her close family
with colon polyps or colon cancer?
Do you know the exact description of her
polyp?
Our family does not have a history of
colon cancer/polyps. We don't know more
about the polyp other than that it's 4 cm.
I've read before that anything greater
than 2 cm will likely become cancer if not
already. So mom is proceeding with the
plan for surgery, currently booked for
Nov. 8th.
Thanks for your reply,
Tim
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MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1980 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Thanks: 30
Thanked:10
Posted: 10-26-07 06:03am
Biopsy results can be false negative due
to microcancer areas in the polyp.
You are right that any polyp that's
greater than 2 cm has a bigger chances to
become malignant.
So, having a surgery she 'll have reduced
chances for malignant appearance.
She'll need to make frequent check up.
Wish you all the best to you and your
family!
Thanks again, MandMs! Mom is preparing
for surgery.
We are all very positive that surgery will
be successful
and mom will recover fully. Really
appreciate your
opinions and those of others.
Blessings to everyone.
Tim
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MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1980 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Thanks: 30
Thanked:10
Posted: 10-29-07 06:09am
I'm gonna think of you and your mum!
I'm sure she'll be fine.
Please, inform us here about your mum's
surgery and days after.
Waiting for your post!
Take care!
Marija
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Woodrow
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 22 Location: ,
Pathology Routine? Posted: 11-03-07 12:17pm
My friend survived Stage III colon cancer.
Please keep us informed...even though it
seems you are in fine medical hands.
I'm not a medical professional, but it
seems like common sense to me that any
excised tumor would be examined
microscopically for cancer. Certainly,
any such report would trump a biopsy,
whose statistical merit is fundamentally
questionable, as you have sensibly
discerned already...and which point Marija
has affirmed on Oct. 26.
I would suggest that you insist that a
sizable sample of tumor be preserved...for
examination of the mutant, tumorous DNA,
if necessary, in the future. This can
have a bearing on appropriate
chemotherapy.
I realize that you, like many others, are
consumed with your mother's situation.
Please remember to tell us how it works
out. Many others might benefit.
It is my non-professional opinion that
familial predilection towards colonic
carcinomas is negligible, when it
manifests in later life. Dr. Bert
Vogelstein has published on tumorgenesis.
It is a long long story.
No...cheeseburgers have not been proven to
cause it, either. There are countless
quacks hawking prophylaxes and cures.
Nothing compares to colonoscopy; this
disease is almost always preventable.
There are some remote risk factors to
colonoscopy that spook some prospective
patients, seemingly primarily men as
opposed to women.
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gwb234
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 09 Nov 2007 Posts: 1
False Negative Biopsy Posted: 11-09-07 16:09pm
Hi,
I am in exactly the same situation with
surgery scheduled for next week. I have a
4 to 5 cm tumor in the colon that has come
back negative on 2 sets of biopsies. My
research has found that 40% of these types
of tumors do have cancer. Biopsies of
these types of tumors can give a false
negative result 25% of the time because
only part of the tumor has turned to
cancer and the biopsy missed that part of
the tumor. The question for me is if
there is cancer would it be more likely to
be at an early stage which is very
curable. Please post how your mom is
doing. I know it is an anxious time and I
am hoping
for the best for her.
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2cs
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 1
False Negative Biopsy Posted: 04-22-08 18:21pm
My mom at 88 is in the exact same
situation. Doctor declares a malignancy
and will not change even though biopsy of
large mass came back negative. How did
the surgery go for your Mom and was she
near my Mom's age?
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