Colon Polyps
Small growths on the inner lining of the large bowel. Some are entirely harmless; others are the stage before cancer.
What is happening
Hyperplastic polyps are benign. Adenomatous polyps are pre-cancerous, and removing them during a colonoscopy is one of the few genuine acts of cancer prevention in medicine. How often you need repeat surveillance depends on the number and type of polyps found.
What helps
- Screening colonoscopy from 45
- Keep to the surveillance interval you were given - it is not arbitrary
- Tell your family: a first-degree relative with polyps changes their screening age too
See a doctor promptly if you have
- Bleeding from the back passage
- A change in bowel habit
How we investigate it
Almost always the answer comes from a careful history first, and only then a targeted test — not a panel of everything. Depending on what we find, that may be an endoscopy, a colonoscopy, a Fibroscan or a breath test. We will tell you why a test is being suggested, and what we would do differently depending on the result.
Speak to a gastroenterologist about colon polyps
Consultations at all four centres — Vastrapur, Bopal, Bapunagar and Nikol.