Removing Polyps Reduces Colon Cancer Risk

• By Marijke Vroomen-Durning, RN | Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Although polyps in the colon aren't harmful, they have the potential to develop into colon cancer.

Polyps and colon cancer are often used in the same sentence, so it’s understandable that some people may be confused about what polyps actually are and if they’re cancerous or not.

Colon Cancer and Colon Polyps

Polyps are groups of cells that form an overgrowth of tissue. If you’ve been told you have polyps in your colon, this means you have small rounded or finger-shaped overgrowths of tissue on the lining of your bowel, or colon. One type of polyp, called an adenomatous polyp, is more likely to become pre-cancerous than other types. Most polyps grow very slowly.
The polyps themselves usually produce no symptoms. About one-third of adults who are middle-aged or older have some colon polyps, although some have more than others. People with a family history of colon polyps or who are over 50 years old, smoke, are overweight, or eat diets high in fat are at higher risk of developing them. While the polyps aren’t harmful, they do have the potential of developing into colon cancer as the cells begin to change. Because of this, screening for polyps is essential, particularly if you have a family history of colon cancer.
Colon Cancer and Polyps Screening: Testing Options

Polyps and colon cancer are screened for at the same time, beginning at age 50 for average-risk people. How the screening is best done is still a matter of debate among experts. The traditional screening methods range from invasive methods, such as colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy (a procedure similar to colonoscopy but using a shorter scope that only reaches the lower part of the colon) done at specific intervals, to non-invasive methods, such as yearly testing of stool samples for blood. Newer screening methods may offer alternatives for some people, but for now colonoscopy is most successful in finding polyps and cancer.
Thomas Imperiale, MD, professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine, says that traditional colonoscopies are not always needed if patients go for certain other tests. Although colonoscopy may be too intimidating for many people, Dr. Imperiale believes that if they know about other types of less invasive tests, they may be more willing to be screened.
Colon Cancer Screening: The Virtual Colonoscopy Debate
Virtual colonoscopies, during which images are taken after air is pumped into the colon, are becoming more of an option. In fact, Imperiale, who is also a research scientist at the Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis, believes the cost of virtual colonoscopies will soon be reimbursed by insurance companies, making another option for regular screening available.
However, because virtual colonoscopies don’t use instruments that can remove polyps, a second procedure with a traditional colonoscopy will be needed to remove polyps if they are found. If that’s the case, your doctor will recommend continued screening, probably with repeat colonoscopies, at specific intervals based on your personal and family medical history.

There’s also a concern that virtual colonoscopies see only the bigger polyps, not those that are quite small or lie flat against the colon lining, and thereby miss some.
Colon Cancer Screening: Other Options
Some tests, such as examining your stool for blood in a fecal occult blood test (FOBT), let your doctor know if you need further testing for polyps or cancer. The FOBT is started at home by collecting multiple, separate stool samples and placing a smear of each on a diagnostic paper card. The cards are then analyzed at your doctor’s office or a lab. If blood is found, you should have a traditional colonoscopy. But, according to one recent study, FOBT picked up only 24 percent of the cancers that a colonoscopy identified.
A newer test in the arsenal against colon cancer is the camera pill — a small camera contained in a swallowed capsule that takes pictures as it travels through the small intestine. These pictures are transmitted to a special receiver and are then downloaded and reviewed by your doctor. The advantage to this is that the camera pill looks at the small intestine, where the colonoscopy can’t reach. Because polyps in the small intestine aren’t that common, this test is usually done only if your doctor has reason to suspect you may have them there.
Colon cancer screening is relatively simple, and if you have a history of colon cancer in your family, finding and removing any polyps is a wise move