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.
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.
In multivariable analysis, the presence of 5 or more polyps at index colonoscopy was found to be associated with the risk of metachronous HR-CRN (OR, 2.575, p = 0.049) after adjusting for risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, and smoking.
Polyps are common in American adults, and while many colon polyps are harmless, over time, some polyps could develop into colon cancer. While the majority of colon cancers start as polyps, only 5-10% of all polyps will become cancerous.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Although most colon polyps are harmless, some could turn into colorectal cancer or already be cancerous. The percentage of colon polyps that are cancerous or become cancerous depend on a variety of factors, including the type and size of the polyp and when it formed.
Polyp Growth Rates
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).
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.
How are they caused? Bowel polyps are caused by an abnormal production of cells. The lining of the bowel constantly renews itself, and a faulty gene can cause the cells in the bowel lining to grow more quickly. There may be a family tendency towards developing bowel polyps or bowel cancer.
Larger polyps, however, pose a greater threat. Pickhardt et al. found that that cancer incidence increased with polyp size — 91 percent of all advanced adenomas and 100 percent of cancer cases were from individuals with lesions of 10 mm or larger.
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.
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.
Symptoms of bowel polyps
But some larger polyps can cause: a small amount of slime (mucus) or blood in your poo (rectal bleeding) diarrhoea or constipation. pain in your tummy (abdominal pain)
People can have several polyps scattered in different parts of the colon. Some polyps can contain cancer, although the vast majority of polyps do not. Larger polyps are more likely to become cancerous than smaller ones.
No. Some abnormal growths can actually be benign. And there are several different kinds of colon polyps. Not all of them will turn into cancer.
It's possible to have multiple polyps that are flat or raised (as if they are on a stalk). Polyps are one of the most common colorectal conditions, occurring in 15 - 20 percent of the adult population.
“After an advanced polyp has been removed, the whole colon remains at risk for cancer, and periodic colonoscopy is needed,” said Schoen. Intriguingly, the study also showed that people with non-advanced polyps had a risk for cancer similar to a person without polyps.
Colon cancer is typically slow-growing, starting as a benign polyp that eventually becomes malignant. This process may occur over many years without producing any symptoms. Once colon cancer has developed, it may still be years before it is detected.