All about colon polyps

Colon polyps are abnormal tissue growths that form along the lining of the large intestine. In this article, a consultant gastroenterologist explains how colon polyps form, when to be concerned, and how they are treated.

What are colon polyps?

Polyps form when unusual and excess cells cluster together, becoming small bumps or lumps in the tissue. They tend to form one or two at a time. People who have family members who have had colon polyps or colon cancer are more likely to develop colon polyps, as well as those who have an inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis). They are most common in people over the age of 50, with 25 per cent of people over the age of 50 having at least one polyp in their lifetime.

Do colon polyps raise the risk for colon cancer?

Colon polyps are not inherently malignant, but there is a risk of them becoming cancerous. There are two types of polyps: nonneoplastic and neoplastic. Nonneoplastic colon polyps typically remain benign, but neoplastic polyps, which include adenomas and serrated polyps, are more likely to turn into cancer if left untreated.

What are the signs of colon polyps?

Polyps are typically asymptomatic and do not have any sensation, but larger ones can cause dysfunction in bowel movements such as:

• Blood in stool or rectal bleeding.
• Constipation or diarrhoea
• Abdominal cramping

How are colon polyps diagnosed?

Patients may seek medical intervention for issues with symptomatic polyps, which will lead to a diagnosis, but as colon polyps are largely asymptomatic, most cases tend to be discovered during a screening.

Patients with risk factors for colon polyps and cancer should ideally be undergoing regular screenings. Some screening tests can be done at home and are mainly offered to patients from the age of 50 to be done every two years, but patients outside of that age range who have concerns or a family history of polyps and colon cancer can arrange with their GP to have a stool kit sent out to them. Screenings can reveal not only the presence of precancerous growths and polyps, but also colon cancer, making them a staple that aids in early diagnosis and prevention.

What is a colon screening?

Screening tests can take the form of:

• stool tests, where a sample of bloody stool is taken and examined for cancerous cells.
• colonoscopies, a type of endoscopy, where a thin and flexible tube with a camera and light on the end is inserted through the anus and up the rectum to investigate the issues of the colon.

Colonoscopies in particular are a vital part of the diagnostic process for polyps. Besides the high-resolution and real-time perspective of the bowel lining, doctors are able to remove polyps directly during the procedure (a polypectomy) and take tissue samples (a biopsy) for further laboratory examination to see if the cells are precancerous.

Laboratory analysis can check if the polyps are precancerous, helping to jumpstart preventative treatment, and evaluate the risk of developing further polyps.

If you are concerned about colon polyps, you can consult with a specialist on Top Doctors today.