A colon polyp is a small growth on the inner lining of the colon. Polyps are very common, especially after age 50, and most are harmless. The reason we pay close attention to them is that some types can slowly turn into colorectal cancer over many years. The good news is that finding and removing polyps during a colonoscopy stops that process before it starts. Here is what polyps are and why removing them matters so much.
What Colon Polyps Are
Polyps form when cells in the colon lining grow more than they should. Some are flat and some hang on a small stalk. Most are small, and having one does not mean you have cancer. What matters is the type of polyp and whether it has the potential to change over time.
The Main Types
- Adenomas: the most common type that can turn into cancer over time. Most colon cancers begin as an adenoma.
- Sessile serrated polyps: flat polyps that also carry a risk of becoming cancer and can be harder to spot.
- Hyperplastic polyps: usually small and very low risk.
Because the type is only known for certain after a polyp is removed and examined under a microscope, we take out polyps when we find them.
Do Polyps Cause Symptoms?
Most polyps cause no symptoms at all, which is exactly why screening is so important. Larger polyps sometimes cause bleeding, which may appear as blood in the stool, or a change in bowel habits. Waiting for symptoms is not a good strategy, since by then a polyp may have been growing for years.
Who Is at Higher Risk
- Age 45 and older
- A personal or family history of polyps or colorectal cancer
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Smoking, heavy alcohol use, obesity, and a diet low in fiber
How Polyps Are Found and Removed
A colonoscopy is the best tool, because it lets me both find and remove polyps in the same exam. Removal, called a polypectomy, is done painlessly through the scope while you are sedated. The removed tissue is sent to a lab to check the type and confirm it was fully removed.
Why Removal Prevents Cancer
Colon cancer usually develops slowly, over ten years or more, from a polyp that was there the whole time. Taking the polyp out breaks that chain before cancer can form. This is what makes colonoscopy unique among cancer screenings: it does not just find cancer early, it can prevent it.
What Happens After
Once we know the number, size, and type of polyps found, I recommend when your next colonoscopy should be. People with no polyps or only small low-risk ones often wait several years, while those with larger or higher-risk polyps come back sooner. Staying on that schedule keeps your colon healthy over time.
Talk to a Gastroenterologist in Mountainside, NJ
If your symptoms keep coming back or you are not sure what is causing them, Dr. Amber Khan can help. We see patients from across Union County and New Jersey.