Although the cause of colon polyps is still unknown; it is said that hereditary factors may play a factor. There is a genetic condition called polyposis coli. It causes thousands of adenomatous polyps throughout the bowel.
Risk Factors
Some risk factors for colon polyp:
- Age: over 50 years
- Family members with colon polyps or colon cancer
- History of colorectal cancer (or cancer of the large intestine)
- Obesity
Symptoms
Symptoms are often not present. Polyps can only be found during an endoscopy or x-ray. If symptoms are ever present, they can include:
- Rectal bleeding
- Anemia
- Diarrhea , constipation , and/or bloating that lasts over a period of time
- Abdominal pain, rarely
Colon and rectal cancers are the second most common type after lung cancer among men, and the third most prevalent after breast cancer and lung cancer in women. Most colorectal types grow little by little over a period of several years, often beginning as small benign growths called polyps. Removing these polyps in colon early, before they become malignant, is an effective way of preventing colorectal cancer. If the epithelia cells (the cells in the mucous membrane of the colon) turn cancerous and begin to grow and replicate in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, the body cannot organize these cells for normal function and the cells form a mass that is called a tumor. Malignant tumors in the colon can eventually penetrate through the colon and spread to other parts of the body, crowding and destroying normal cells.
Every person is potentially at risk of developing colon cancer at some point in their lifetime. Colon cancer occurs not only in mature individuals, but also in younger men and women as well. The risk factors include a personal history of colonic or rectal polyps, a personal or family history of colon or rectal cancer, and certain conditions, such as chronic ulcerative colitis (CUC) and Crohn’s disease. Diet can also be a factor in the development of colon cancer.
A colon polyp is a growth on the surface of the colon, which is also called the large intestine. At times, a person can have more than one colon polyp. Colon polyps can either be raised or flat.
Polyps in the colon are typically are harmless; but, sometimes these polyps have the potential to become cancerous over time.
Are colon polyps cancerous?
Polyps in the colon are typically are harmless; but, sometimes these polyps have the potential to become cancerous over time. Flat polyps can be smaller and harder to detect and are more likely to be cancerous than raised polyps. Colonoscopy is a procedure that removes polyps.
