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What are colon polyps?

A polyp* is extra tissue that grows inside your body. Colon polyps grow in the large intestine. The large intestine, also called the colon, is part of your digestive system. It's a long, hollow tube at the end of your digestive tract where your body makes and stores stool.

*Medical terms are defined in the glossary.

Most polyps are not dangerous. Most are benign, which means they are not cancer. But over time, some types of polyps can turn into cancer. Usually, polyps that are smaller than a pea aren't harmful. But larger polyps could someday become cancer or may already be cancer. To be safe, doctors remove all polyps and test them.

Colon polyp

Anyone can get polyps, but certain people are more likely than others. You may have a greater chance of getting polyps if

• you're over 50. The older you get, the more likely you are to develop polyps.
• you've had polyps before.
• someone in your family has had polyps.
• someone in your family has had cancer of the large intestine.

You may also be more likely to get polyps if you

• eat a lot of fatty foods
• smoke
• drink alcohol
• don't exercise
• weigh too much

Most small polyps don't cause symptoms. Often, people don't know they have one until the doctor finds it during a regular checkup or while testing them for something else.

But some people do have symptoms like these:

• bleeding from the anus. You might notice blood on your underwear or on toilet paper after you've had a bowel movement.
  
  
• blood in the stool. Blood can make stool look black, or it can show up as red streaks in the stool.
  
  

If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor to find out what the problem is.

The doctor can use four tests to check for polyps:

• Digital rectal exam. The doctor wears gloves and checks your rectum, the last part of the large intestine, to see if it feels normal. This test would find polyps only in the rectum, so the doctor may need to do one of the other tests listed below to find polyps higher up in the intestine.
  
  
• Barium enema. The doctor puts a liquid called barium into your rectum before taking x rays of your large intestine. Barium makes your intestine look white in the pictures. Polyps are dark, so they're easy to see.
  
  
• Sigmoidoscopy. With this test, the doctor can see inside your large intestine. The doctor puts a thin flexible tube into your rectum. The device is called a sigmoidoscope, and it has a light and a tiny video camera in it. The doctor uses the sigmoidoscope to look at the last third of your large intestine.
  
  
• Colonoscopy. This test is like sigmoidoscopy, but the doctor looks at all of the large intestine. It usually requires sedation.
  
  

Talk to your doctor about getting tested for polyps if

• you have symptoms
• you're 50 years old or older
• someone in your family has had polyps or colon cancer

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The doctor will remove the polyp. Sometimes, the doctor takes it out during sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. Or the doctor may decide to operate through the abdomen. The polyp is then tested for cancer.

If you've had polyps, the doctor may want you to get tested regularly in the future.

Polyp removal

Doctors don't know of any one sure way to prevent polyps. But you might be able to lower your risk of getting them if you

• eat more fruits and vegetables and less fatty food
• don't smoke
• avoid alcohol
• exercise every day
• lose weight if you're overweight

Eating more calcium and folate can also lower your risk of getting polyps. Some foods that are rich in calcium are milk, cheese, and broccoli. Some foods that are rich in folate are chickpeas, kidney beans, and spinach.

Some doctors think that aspirin might help prevent polyps. Studies are under way.

• A polyp is extra tissue that grows inside the body. Most polyps are not harmful.
• Symptoms may include blood on your underwear, on toilet paper, or in your stool.
• Many polyps do not cause symptoms.
• Doctors remove all polyps and test them for cancer.
• Talk to your doctor about getting tested for polyps if
• you have any symptoms
• you're 50 years old or older
• someone in your family has had polyps or colon cancer

Abdomen (AB-duh-men): The area between the chest and the hips. It contains the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen.

Anus (AY-nus): The opening through which stool leaves the body.

Benign (buh-NINE): Not cancerous.

Colonoscopy (koh-luh-NAW-skuh-pee): A test to look inside the entire large intestine. The doctor uses a flexible tube that contains a light and a tiny video camera. This device is called a colonoscope.

Large intestine: A long, hollow tube in your body that makes and stores stool. Also called the colon.

Polyp (PAH-lip): An extra piece of tissue that grows inside the body.

Rectum (REK-tum): The last section of the large intestine, leading to the anus.

Sigmoidoscopy (SIG-moy-DAW-skuh-pee): A test to look inside the lower section of the large intestine. The doctor uses a flexible tube that contains a light and a tiny video camera. The device is called a sigmoidoscope.

Stool: The solid waste that passes through the rectum as a bowel movement.

American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons
85 West Algonquin Road, Suite 550
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Phone: 847–290–9184
Email: ascrs@fascrs.org
Internet: www.fascrs.org

National Cancer Institute
Cancer Information Service
Building 31, Room 10A16
31 Center Drive, MSC 2580
Bethesda, MD 20892–2580
Phone: 1–800–422–6237 or 301–496–6631
Internet: www.nci.nih.gov

Reprinted from the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

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