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. 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.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Diseases
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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/
Also available in Spanish http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colonpolyps_ES/index.htm#Spanish
- Colon Polyps(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/colon-polyps/DS00511/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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JAMA Patient Page: Colon Polyps(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/300/12/1480.pdf
- Polyps of the Colon and Rectum(American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) - http://www.fascrs.org/patients/conditions/polyps_of_the_colon_and_rectum/
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Lower GI Series (Barium Enema)
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/lowergi/
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MedlinePlus: Colonoscopy
(National Library of Medicine) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/colonoscopy.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/colonoscopy.html
- Ten Questions to Ask Your GI Endoscopist...(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) - http://www.asge.org/PatientInfoIndex.aspx?id=370
- 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
- Colon Adenomatous Polyps(College of American Pathologists) - Links to PDF - http://www.cap.org/apps/docs/reference/myBiopsy/colon_adenomatous_polyps.pdf
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Barium Enema(Patient Education Institute) - 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
- Minimally Invasive Colon Surgery(OR-Live) - One hour program - 1/24/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/NLM/rnh.cfm?id=388
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Colonic Polyps
(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Colonic+Polyps%22
- Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Attenuated+Familial+Adenomatous+Polyposis
- Familial Adenomatous Polyposis(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Familial+Adenomatous+Polyposis
- Gardner Syndrome(American Society of Clinical Oncology) - http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Gardner+Syndrome
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Genetics Home Reference: Familial adenomatous polyposis
(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=familialadenomatouspolyposis
- 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
- Article: By the way, doctor. How often should a healthy 55-year-old... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19244664&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Effect of clinicopathologic factors on visibility of colorectal polyps with... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19234274&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Polypectomy techniques for difficult colon polyps. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19188726&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
- Colonic Polyps - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=Colonic+Polyps
- American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: Find a Doctor(American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) - http://www.asge.org/Apps/FindADoctor/search.aspx
- Find a Surgeon(American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons) - http://www.fascrs.org/patients/find_surgeon/
- American Cancer Society - http://www.cancer.org/
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National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
- http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- 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