- Who is most at risk of developing bowel cancer?
- How to decrease the risk of polyps becoming cancer
- Symptoms of intestinal polyps
- How the diagnosis is made
The intestinal adenomatous polyps of the villus or tubule-villus can turn into cancer, however, not everyone will undergo this transformation. There is a greater risk of developing colorectal cancer in sessile polyps, which are flat and have more than 1 cm in diameter, and the larger the size, the greater the risk.
However, the majority of intestinal polyps are hyperplastics, which are benign and rarely become cancer. Both can be identified and removed in a colonoscopy, reducing the risk of developing cancer. See how the intestinal polyps are removed.
Who is most at risk of developing bowel cancer?
Some factors that can contribute to the development of colorectal cancer are:
- Presence of several polyps in the intestine, the larger the polyp, the greater the likelihood of becoming malignant; Food with few calories and rich in animal fats; Cigarette and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages; Age over 50 years; In case of hereditary diseases such as familial adenomatous polyposis, Gardner's syndrome, Turcot's syndrome and Lynch's syndrome.
The presence of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease also increase the risk of developing cancer.
How to decrease the risk of polyps becoming cancer
To reduce the risk of intestinal polyps becoming cancer it is recommended to remove all polyps over 0.5 cm through colonoscopy, but in addition it is important to exercise regularly, have a diet rich in fiber, do not smoke and avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, as these factors facilitate the onset of cancer.
Symptoms of intestinal polyps
Most intestinal polyps do not generate symptoms, especially at the beginning of their formation and that is why it is advisable to have a colonoscopy in case of inflammatory diseases in the intestine or from 50 years of age, since the formation of polyps from this is more frequent. age.
When the polyp is already more developed, there may be some symptoms, such as:
- Change in bowel habits, which can be diarrhea or constipation; Presence of blood in the stool, which can be seen with the naked eye or detected in a blood test hidden in the stools; Abdominal pain or discomfort such as gas and intestinal cramps.
The most common is that intestinal polyps cause bleeding after bowel movement, with the rest of the symptoms being less frequent.
How the diagnosis is made
If intestinal polyps are suspected, the doctor may order tests such as radiography and colonoscopy, which is the test used to view the internal walls of the intestine. After identifying a polyp smaller than 0.5 cm, the doctor may decide not to remove it and repeat the exam after 3 years. There is no need to perform the exam annually because the polyps take about 5 years to grow and change. Here's how to prepare for colonoscopy.
Polyps larger than 1 cm are usually removed during colonoscopy and are sent for analysis by the pathologist to see if there are cancer cells or not. If there are cancer cells, the doctor should refer the patient to an oncologist to indicate the necessary treatment.
After the result of the first colonoscopy, the doctor will advise the patient when the test should be performed again. In general, colonoscopy should be repeated:
| Patient status | Colonoscopy again after: |
| Absence of intestinal polyps | 10 years |
| Hyperplastic polyps less than 1 cm | 10 years |
| 1 or 2 tubular adenomas less than 1 cm | 5 years |
| 3 to 10 tubular adenomas | 3 years |
| 10 or more adenomas | 1 or 2 years |
| 1 or more tubular adenomas over 1 cm | 3 years |
| 1 or more villous or tubulo-villous adenomas | 3 years |
| 1 adenoma with signs of high-grade dysplasia | 3 years |
Gastroenterologist and proctologist doctors are the most suitable to treat intestinal polyps and during a consultation all doubts can be answered personally, being a good way to calm the patient.
