Polyps are commonly found in the colon and into the rectum They are mutated, abnormal growths that bear watching and, in fact, the removal of all, whether malignant or benign, is recommended during a colonoscopy. There is the potential of becoming cancerous, which is why colonoscopies are recommended every five to 10 years starting at age 50. This screening process searches and destroys on its mission to track down polyps.

Most cases of colorectal cancer (95 percent) arise from malignant polyps. Colorectal cancer ranks fifth of all types of cancer behind skin, lung, prostate and breast cancers, and the colonoscopy ranks as of the greatest cancer prevention procedures of all time.

The flesh polyps are tiny and, if undetected, potentially deadly, growing in clumps along the lining of the colon. The life cycle of the cells in the colon’s lining spans infancy, multiplying, maturing and eventually dying. It is a natural and consistent process of life and death, but the growth of polyps in unnatural. The DNA of the cells fosters a mutation and polyps grow along the lining. Polyps, once removed, do not return, but almost a third of people who have had these polyps removed will have other polyps grow elsewhere, which is why recurring colonoscopies are advised.

What Increases the Risks of Polyps?

The real risk of polyps is that they remain undetected and therefore untreated. A regularly scheduled colonoscopy decreases the risks by essentially nipping thee unwelcome invaders in the bud.

Following are the most common risks for the growth of polyps and, potentially, colorectal cancer:

Your Age…

It’s simple, the years of the greatest risk of colon polyps are from the age of 50 and beyond. The statistics clearly indicate that the risks overwhelmingly start at the age of 50 and increase exponentially from there. That’s why 50 is the age recommended for your first colonoscopy.

Your Race…

African Americans get colon cancer more often and more die from colon cancer than other race in the United States. African American women have the greatest risk, according to recent studies.

Your Family History…

If your mother, father, sister, brother or child has or has had colon polyps, it greatly increases your chance of having the same. If there are a number of close family members, your chances increase significantly. Having made that point statistically, there are cases where heredity was clearly not a factor.

You Have Had Inflammatory Intestinal Issues…

What are inflammatory intestinal issues that greatly increase the risk? Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis top the list of risks.

You Have Type 2 Diabetes…

The increases the risk of polyps, but uncontrolled diabetes is the bigger risk.

You Drink Alcohol and Use Tobacco…

The risk of polyps among men for both is appreciably higher. Not as much statistical evidence among women.

You Are Obese and Don’t Exercise…

Once again being overweight and sedentary living increase raise the potential of ill health. In this case it is the risk of polyps and, by extension, the odds of a malignant polyp.

You Have Any of These Hereditary Disorders…

The risk of polyps increases with hereditary diseases like the following:  Gardner’s Syndrome, Lynch Syndrome, Serrated Polyposis Syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome, MYH-Associated Polyposis, and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis.

When do polyps signal colon cancer?

The bottom line is that in almost all cases, malignant polyps translate into colon cancer. In most cases, polyps are hyperplastic, benign with the potential of being cancerous. Other benign polyps are precancerous and may turn into cancer if not removed soon. Precancerous polyps may be hamartomatous and adenomatous, for example, with stems and cilla indicating that an adenomatous polyp will become cancerous. In most cases, however, there are few observable characteristics to predict cancer in a benign polyp.  There may be a number of stages of abnormality before cancer is ultimately detected after removal and testing.

Mutations of the DNA in the cells are transforming these abnormalities over time. What is benign now may be cancerous a year or several years from now. This is why all polyps detected in a colonoscopy are removed.  Abnormal cell growth, known as dysplasia, can escalate from low-grade to high-grade forms over several years, and the polyp is now cancerous.