How bad are polyps in your colon?

Most colon polyps are harmless. But over time, some colon polyps can develop into colon cancer. Colon cancer can be fatal when found in its later stages. Anyone can develop colon polyps.

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What is the main cause of colon polyps?

Smoking, obesity, diabetes, and inadequate exercise are risk factors for polyps, but many people with none of these risk factors have precancerous polyps in the colon. There are genetic risk factors for developing polyps as well.

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What are the odds of a colon polyp being cancerous?

While the majority of colon cancers start as polyps, only 5-10% of all polyps will become cancerous.

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How many polyps are normal in a colonoscopy?

If the colonoscopy finds one or two small polyps (5 mm in diameter or smaller), you are considered at relatively low risk. Most people will not have to return for a follow-up colonoscopy for at least five years, and possibly longer.

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How long does it take a colon polyp to turn into cancer?

It takes approximately 10 years for a small polyp to develop into cancer. Family history and genetics — Polyps and colon cancer tend to run in families, suggesting that genetic factors are important in their development.

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Doctors find 100+ potentially cancerous polyps in man’s colon

41 related questions found

Should I worry about colon polyps?

Most colon polyps are harmless. But over time, some colon polyps can develop into colon cancer. Colon cancer can be fatal when found in its later stages. Anyone can develop colon polyps.

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Can a doctor tell if polyp is cancerous during colonoscopy?

A gastroenterologist, the specialist who usually performs a colonoscopy, can't tell for certain if a colon polyp is precancerous or cancerous until it's removed and examined under a microscope.

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What not to eat if you have colon polyps?

Foods to limit
  • fatty foods, such as fried foods.
  • red meat, such as beef and pork.
  • processed meat, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and lunch meats.

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What happens if a removed polyp is cancerous?

The doctor will then send any removed polyps to a pathologist for a biopsy to see if cancer is present. If the biopsy reveals that cancer is present, then cancer specialists will outline a treatment plan for the person. Common treatments for colon cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

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What are symptoms of polyps in colon?

Most people with polyps won't be aware of them as they produce no symptoms and are often discovered by accident. However, some larger polyps can cause: a small amount of rectal bleeding (blood in your stool) mucus to be produced when you open your bowels.

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How many polyps is considered a lot?

Not all polyps pose a higher risk for colorectal cancer. But some colon cancers may start as polyps. So, the more polyps you have, the higher your cancer risk. Someone with just one or two small polyps is generally at lower risk of having or developing colon cancer than someone with three to nine, or more.

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How fast do colon polyps grow back?

Research indicates that as many as 60 percent of polyps may grow back within three years. Also, about 30 percent of patients who've had polyps removed will develop new ones. This is why it is important to talk to the care team about follow-up screening within five years after the polyps are removed.

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Is family history of colon polyps considered high risk?

Nearly 1 in 3 people who develop colorectal cancer have a family history of the disease. The risk is even higher if you have someone in your immediate family — a parent or sibling — who has had CRC or colon polyps. Colorectal cancer usually develops from precancerous polyps in the colon or rectum.

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Does stress cause polyps?

Colon polyp development involves genetic and epigenetic changes and environmental effectors such as stress in this process can drive the normal colonic epithelial cells to hyperplastic and adenomas [25-27].

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Do colon polyps grow fast?

Cancerous polyps tend to grow slowly. It is estimated that the polyp dwell time, the time needed for a small adenoma to transform into a cancer, may be on average 10 years (17). Evidence from the heyday of barium enema examinations indicates that most polyps do not grow or grow very slowly (18).

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Does alcohol cause colon polyps?

Alcohol use is one of the leading risk factors for colon cancer because it increases the likelihood of polyp development in the colon lining.

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What is the symptoms that polyp is cancerous?

Cancerous polyps may cause no symptoms at all. But if you do have symptoms, they depend on where the polyp is located: Colorectal polyps may cause belly pain, constipation, diarrhea or blood in your poop. Stomach polyps may cause nausea, belly pain, vomiting and bleeding.

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What is the next step after colon polyp is cancerous?

If a polyp has cancerous cells, they will also biopsy nearby lymph nodes to determine if the cancer has spread or metastasized to other areas of the body. In this case radiation, chemotherapy or other therapies may be recommended. Colonoscopy screenings can be life saving!

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What happens if they find polyps during colonoscopy?

Colonoscopy, in which a small tube with a light and camera is inserted into your rectum to look at your colon. If polyps are found, your health care provider may remove them immediately or take tissue samples to send to the lab for analysis.

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Does exercise reduce colon polyps?

The reason that regular exercise reduces risk of getting colon cancer may be because it also reduces polyps. An analysis of 20 studies of adenomas -- precancerous polyps that raise risk for colon cancer -- found that regular physical exercise reduced polyp risk by 16 percent.

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Does sugar feed polyps?

“Polyps love to eat fructose and glucose and they use it to grow. They're just like humans,” said Dr. Lewis Cantley, one of the lead authors of the study and director of the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.

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Can polyps cause gas and bloating?

Colon polyps and diverticulitis have similar symptoms that include: Abdominal pain. Bloating. Constipation.

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How long does a colonoscopy take if polyps are found?

A colonoscopy procedure typically takes 30-60 minutes, depending on whether the doctor needs to remove polyps or take biopsies. However, patients and caregivers should plan to spend 2-3 hours total at the hospital or endoscopy center to account for the time needed for preparation and recovery.

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What is the treatment for a cancerous colon polyp?

Doctors treat colon polyps by removing them. In most cases, doctors use special tools during a colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy to remove colon polyps. After doctors remove the polyp, they send it for testing to check for cancer. A pathologist will review the test results and send a report to your doctor.

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What is the recovery time for a colonoscopy?

Recovery from a colonoscopy , an examination of the large intestine used to screen for colon cancer, takes about a day. While the procedure itself takes only around an hour to complete, you'll need an hour after to recover from the sedative and the remainder of the day to rest and replenish fluids and nutrition.

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