Colon polyps are small clumps of cells that sometimes form in the lining of your colon. It usually occurs in almost 25% of men and women when they grow older than 50. These are mostly harmless but can grow to be cancerous if left untreated for a long time. It is suggested by the doctors that anyone can get this, especially those who are overweight or are a smoker. Some studies suggest that the chance of finding a polyp in a colonoscopy is 40%, and after it is found, the doctors examine it to determine if it is cancerous. Doctors usually suggest colonoscopy screening if you show any symptoms of polyps in your colon. Let’s discuss more colon polyps below.

Types of Polyps

There is a certain type of polyps that have more chances of turning cancerous than others. This can

be reduced by getting a colonoscopy screening at the right time. Some of those types of colon polyps are the following:

Adenomatous

It was recorded in a study that almost 70% of polyps found in people are adenomatous. This is the most common type of polyp and is tested for cancer though only a small percent out of all is found cancerous. When such polyp is detected by the doctor, they suggest colonoscopy screening to determine and take out the polyp.

Serrated

These are usually found in the lower colon and can become cancerous. These are also known as hyperplastic polyps, which look typically flat and are very difficult to detect in the upper colon until colonoscopy screening is done.

Villous Adenoma

Most of the polyps detected in colonoscopy screening are villous adenomas and have a high risk of turning cancerous. It is also very hard to remove as most of these polyps are sessile. If these polyps become large in size, proper surgery has to be done to remove them.

Things To Know About Polyps

There are some points that the doctor suggests everyone do to avoid polyps, at least avoid getting it into the cancer stage. Those points are discussed below.

• Doctors suggest getting colonoscopy screening at least once in 10 years, starting from age 45, if you don’t have it in your family.

• It is said that once detected; polyps can be examined and removed very painlessly through colonoscopy screening.

• African-American have a higher chance of getting colon polyps.

Make an Appointment Today

If you feel that you are feeling any symptoms of colon polyps, then you should definitely try to get an appointment with Digestive Disease Specialist, INC., to get hold of the most experienced doctors in this field.

**Disclaimer: This blog content does not offer a doctor's advice and creates no relationship between any patient and care provider.