Don't worry. Most polyps aren't cancer. But some types of colon polyps do increase your risk of developing colonrectal cancer. So, it's important to be informed.
You might not know you have a polyp until your health care provider finds it during an exam of your colon. However, some people with colon polyps may have: Change in bowel habits. Constipation or diarrhea that lasts longer than a week may mean the presence of a larger colon polyp or cancer.
"Precancerous polyps are extremely common," he says. "We expect to find them in more than a quarter of the colonoscopies that we do at a minimum. So, you know, maybe a third or even a half of all patients getting [a] colonoscopy will have precancerous polyps."
While the majority of colon cancers start as polyps, only 5-10% of all polyps will become cancerous.
Number: The more pre-cancerous polyps someone has, the higher their risk will be. So, someone with 1 or 2 small polyps is at less risk than someone with 3-9.
They are not cancer, and most of them have not started to change into cancer. If you get them at the precancerous phase, they don't have a chance to grow and turn into cancer. But you will need to come back for follow-up testing to see if more polyps turn up in the future.
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.
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.
Ninety percent of cases occur after age 50, with males somewhat more likely to develop polyps than females; therefore, colon cancer screening is usually recommended starting at age 50 for both sexes. It takes approximately 10 years for a small polyp to develop into cancer.
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.
The presence of PTSD has a marked impact on colonoscopy rates in Australian veterans. The increased polypectomy rate independent of increased colonoscopy rate suggests that PTSD is a risk factor for colonic polyp formation.
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.
Foods to limit
Research suggests that eating less of the following foods may have health benefits and may lower your chances of developing polyps: fatty foods, such as fried foods. red meat, such as beef and pork. processed meat, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and lunch meats.
Patients aged 50 years or older were more likely to have sessile polyps (p=0.023) and polyps located in the proximal colon (p=0.009). There were no significant differences between groups in histopathology or presence of dysplasia.
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 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.
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).
If polyps are found and removed during a colonoscopy procedure, the recovery period will be slightly longer. After polyps are removed it can take up to a week for the patient to fully recover. During this time, patients should avoid all strenuous activities, which includes lifting anything over five pounds.
Most colorectal cancers start as a growth on the inner lining of the colon or rectum. These growths are called polyps. Some types of polyps can change into cancer over time (usually many years), but not all polyps become cancer. The chance of a polyp turning into cancer depends on the type of polyp it is.
Villous Adenoma (Tubulovillous Adenoma)
Approximately 15 percent of polyps detected in colon cancer screening are villous or tubulovillous adenomas. This type of polyp carries a high risk of turning cancerous.
Surveillance refers to the process of evaluating patients with a personal history of polyps or cancer. People who have precancerous polyps completely removed should have a colonoscopy every 3-5 years, depending on the size and number of polyps found.
Experts are not sure what causes colon polyps. It is probably a combination of environmental factors and genetics. However, certain people are at higher risk for getting them, especially if you: Are 45 years of age or older.
Right-sided polyps are more likely to develop into cancers — which often grow rapidly and have a higher risk for metastasis, spreading to distant body areas.