Negative Result: If the doctor doesn’t spot anything different in your colon during the colonoscopy, it’s all good. They might say you’re in the clear for another ten years, especially if you’re an average risk, getting up there in age, and just had some harmless little polyps. Depending on stuff like how many, how big, and what kind of polyps they found before, or if you’ve got certain genetic or family history factors, they might want to check up more often, maybe yearly.
Positive Result: If they do find something, like polyps or weird tissue, that’s a positive result. Most polyps aren’t cancerous, but some could be on their way. They’ll send any removed polyps to the lab to see if they’re cancerous, precancerous, or just harmless.