Intestines
Colon polyps & colon cancer
Polyps are small growths in the large bowel. Some turn into cancer over several years. Colon cancer is increasingly seen in people under 50.
Common symptoms
- Blood in the stool
- Change in bowel habit for more than 3 weeks
- Anaemia, tiredness or weight loss
- Often no symptoms in early stages
Causes and risk factors
- Age over 45
- A parent, brother or sister with colon cancer or polyps
- Smoking and obesity
- Red and processed meat, and low fibre
- Long-standing ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
How it is diagnosed
Colonoscopy is the best test: it finds polyps and removes them at the same time. A stool test for hidden blood (FIT) is another screening option.
Treatment
Colonoscopy finds polyps and removes them in the same test. Larger flat growths can often be removed endoscopically (EMR) without surgery.
Procedures that may help
When to see a gastroenterologist
Any of these symptoms, or a parent, brother or sister with colon cancer.
Common questions
When should I get a colonoscopy?
Discuss it with your doctor from about 45, or about 10 years earlier than the age at which a close relative was diagnosed. Symptoms need testing at any age.
Does polyp removal hurt?
No. The bowel lining has no pain nerves, and the procedure is done under sedation.