Colonic Polyps (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Colon polyps

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.

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.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases

Start Here

What I Need to Know about Colon Polyps(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colonpolyps_ez/

Overviews

Colon Polyps(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/colon-polyps/DS00511/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
JAMA Patient Page: Colon Polyps(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/300/12/1480.pdf
Understanding Polyps and Their Treatment(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) - http://www.asge.org/PatientInfoIndex.aspx?id=396

Latest News

Blacks at Greater Risk of Precancerous Colon Polyps(09/23/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69631.html

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colonoscopy/
CT Colonography (Virtual Colonoscopy)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=ct_colo
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=ct_colo
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/sigmoidoscopy/
Lower GI Series (Barium Enema)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lowergi/
Virtual Colonoscopy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/virtualcolonoscopy/

Prevention/Screening

Can Colorectal Polyps and Cancer Be Found Early?(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_3X_Can_colon_and_rectum_cancer_be_found_early.asp

Specific Conditions

Colon Adenomatous Polyps(College of American Pathologists) - Links to PDF - http://www.cap.org/apps/docs/reference/myBiopsy/colon_adenomatous_polyps.pdf

Related Issues

Make the Best Choice for Your Endoscopic Procedure(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) - http://www.asge.org/PatientInfoIndex.aspx?id=376

Tutorials

Barium Enema(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/bariumenema/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/bariumenemaspanish/htm/index.htm
Colonoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/colonoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/colonoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
Sigmoidoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/sigmoidoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/sigmoidoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm

Videos

Minimally Invasive Colon Surgery(OR-Live) - Requires media player - One hour program - 1/24/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=388

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Colonic Polyps(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Colonic+Polyps%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Colonoscopy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=colonoscopy

Genetics

Familial Adenomatous Polyposis(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Familial+Adenomatous+Polyposis
Hereditary Mixed Polyposis Syndrome(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Hereditary+Mixed+Polyposis+Syndrome
Juvenile Polyposis Syndrome(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Juvenile+Polyposis+Syndrome
MYH-Associated Polyposis(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/MYH-Associated+Polyposis
Turcot Syndrome(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Turcot+Syndrome

Journal Articles

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

Article: JAMA patient page. Colon polyps. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18812541&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Prevalence of colon polyps detected by colonoscopy screening in asymptomatic... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18812532&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Five-year risk of colorectal neoplasia after negative screening colonoscopy. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18799558&tool=MedlinePlus
Colonic Polyps -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=colonic+polyps[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+systematic[sb]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Medical Encyclopedia

Colonic Polyps - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=Colonic+Polyps

Directories

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: Find a Doctor(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) - http://www.asge.org/Apps/FindADoctor/search.aspx

Organizations

American Cancer Society - http://www.cancer.org/
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Colorectal Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/colorectalcancer.html
Cancers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cancers.html
Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Colonic Polyps is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

Colonic Polyps - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/colonicpolyps.html