Final answer:
A doctor finding polyps and a tumor may lead to further diagnostic procedures like a colonoscopy to visualize and potentially remove precancerous polyps or a fecal DNA test for colorectal cancer. If cancer is confirmed, the patient may undergo surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a doctor identifies polyps and a tumor during a gastrointestinal examination, the nurse can anticipate that the next steps in the patient's course of treatment would include additional tests to assess the nature of these findings. The presence of polyps, which are benign mucosal growths, suggests the potential for colorectal cancer, as these can develop into malignant lesions. Therefore, further diagnostic measures will likely be required.
Since colorectal cancer may present with symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding, and since a colonoscopy can both identify and enable the removal of precancerous polyps, it is standard to conduct a colonoscopy in such cases. This invasive procedure involves inserting a camera at the end of a tube into the colon to directly visualize and assess the lining of the large intestine for cancerous or precancerous lesions. If polyps are found, they can often be removed during the procedure. A noninvasive but definitive test that could be performed prior to a colonoscopy is the fecal DNA test, which detects DNA from cancer cells in the stool.
The treatment will likely depend on the results of these additional tests, but if the tumor is confirmed to be cancerous, treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination thereof, depending on the stage and characteristics of the tumor.