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• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

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• Genetics

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Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

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• Patient Handouts

Summary

A polyp is an extra piece of tissue that grows inside your body. Colonic polyps grow in the large intestine, or colon. Most polyps are not dangerous. However, some polyps may turn into cancer or already be cancer. To be safe, doctors remove polyps and test them. Polyps can be removed when a doctor examines the inside of the large intestine during a colonoscopy.

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

• Are over age 50
• Have had polyps before
• Have a family member with polyps
• Have a family history of colon cancer

Most colon polyps do not cause symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include blood on your underwear or on toilet paper after a bowel movement, blood in your stool, or constipation or diarrhea lasting more than a week.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

• Colon Polyps (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
• Polyps of the Colon and Rectum (American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Colonoscopy: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Lower GI Series (Barium Enema) (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Screening Tests to Detect Colorectal Cancer and Polyps (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
• When You Visit Your Doctor: Colonic Polyps (Harvard Medical School)

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Can Colorectal Polyps and Cancer Be Found Early? (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Large bowel resection - Series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Familial adenomatous polyposis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Juvenile polyposis syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Colonic Polyps (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Analysis of clinical characteristics and risk factors on serrated polyps with...
• Article: In vivo evaluation of complex polyps with endoscopic optical coherence tomography...
• Article: Videos in Short-Video Sharing Platforms as Sources of Information on Colorectal...
• Colonic Polyps -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Cancer Society
• ASGE: Find a Doctor (American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy)
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Children

• Intestinal Polyps (in Children) (North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition) - PDF Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Colonoscopy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Colorectal polyps (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Large bowel resection (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish