What Happens If A Colon Polyp Is Cancerous?

Colorectal cancer is the third big cause associated with cancer death among a large number of women and men in America. These types of cancer problems take place from inner lining present in the human large intestine referred as colon. Tumors may even take place from inner lining present in the last part of one’s digestive tract known as rectum. Unfortunately, most of the colorectal cancers are of silent tumors and hence, they growth very slowly without producing symptoms until they become large. Fortunately, colorectal cancer is a curable and preventable one, if doctors detect or diagnose it early.

Cancerous colorectal problem starts with a polyp. Colorectal cancer starts as a polyp, a nonspecific terminology for describing the growth of a colon’s inner surface. Polyps are usually of non-cancerous growths, but in some cases, it develops to form cancer. Rectum and colon have two most common forms of polyps, which include the following-

Adenomatous or Adenomas Polyps: Adenomatous or Adenomas polyps are a few left alone polyps, which result in the problem of colon cancer. Doctors call them as pre-cancerous polyps.

Inflammatory and Hyper-plastic Polyps: Inflammatory and Hyper-plastic polyps do not often carry the risk related to developing cancer problems. However, large size of hyper-plastic polyps found on the right hand side of one’s colon are of major concern and hence, doctors have to remove them completely.

Despite a majority of colorectal polyps do not cause cancer problems; virtually each of the rectal and colon cancers starts from the mentioned growths. Even people may inherit the problems, where risks related to cancer and colon polyps are relatively high.

Colorectal Cancer Because of Abnormal Cells: Other than polyps, colorectal cancer may even develop from various abnormal cells areas present in the rectum or colon lining. Doctors call this abnormal cells’ area as dysplasia and it is common among people dealing with specific type of inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s problem.

Whenever doctors found colorectal polyps, they simply remove it and thereby, send it to pathology labs to perform microscopic analysis. Once they determine the microscopic form of polyp, they conduct a follow-up interval for the upcoming colonoscopy.

Initially doctors conduct collect medical history of a patient and conduct physical examination. After this, they recommend for a large number of tests to detect polyps and colorectal cancer as early as possible. Tests helpful in the detection of colorectal cancer and polyps are as follows-

Stool DNA Test: Stool DNA test identifies any genetic change, which sometimes remain present in various colon cancer cells. In this way, the test finds a few colon cancers before their symptoms develop.

Sigmoidoscopy: Sigmoidoscopy procedure involves examination of the colon and rectum both. This test detects cancer, polyps and various other abnormalities present in the rectum or sigmoid colon. During this test, the pathologists may also remove a particular tissue sample called as a biopsy and send it for further tests.

Colonoscopy: Colonoscopy test examines the complete rectum and colon of a patient. This process involves the removal of polyps and sending it for further testing.

CT Colonography: CT Colonography refers to a special type of X-ray test, referred commonly as virtual colonoscopy done for the entire colon by the help of CT scanner. The test requires less time and is of less invasive as compared to any other available test. However, if doctors detect a polyp, they have to perform standard colonoscopy.

Routine colonoscopy examined under any microscope is helpful to remove most of the colorectal polyps. On the other side, the doctors recommend for surgical procedure for the removal of large cancers and adenomas.

References:

Also Read:

• Colon Polyps: Causes, Facts, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention
• What are Colon Polyps & What are its Causes, Types, Symptoms?
• Colon Polyps: Exercises, Yoga, Recovery, Diet, Prevention
• Diagnosis & Treatment of Colon Polyps