Definition
Colon polyps are thickened growths of the colon mucosa that protrude into the lumen of the intestine. It is a benign tumor that can degenerate and can lead to colon cancer. They are either broad-based or stalked.
The polyps are also divided into a non-hereditary and a hereditary form. The colon polyps are mainly a disease of old age. 20% of men over 60 years of age are affected. They are the most common benign tumor of the colon.
Symptoms
Colon polyps are usually asymptomatic. This means that they do not cause any symptoms. Therefore, colorectal cancer screening is also very important from the age of 55 onwards.
Often polyps are found here that have not caused any symptoms and would therefore not have been noticed otherwise. With every adenoma there is a risk of degeneration. Therefore all adenomas should be removed.
If the polyp has degenerated into a malignant tumor, this can be shown by abdominal pain or blood admixture to the stool or black coloration of the stool (tar stool). Tumors of the intestine, however, often cause symptoms only at a significantly advanced stage. Therefore, in many cases they are only discovered at a stage where the therapy is more difficult compared to the early stage.
Polyps of the colon usually do not cause symptoms. In most cases, pain only occurs when the polyp has transformed into a malignant tumor that grows rapidly. Due to the fact that polyps do not cause any symptoms, colorectal cancer screening is of great importance from the age of 55 onwards.
For patients who have or have had colorectal cancer in their family, the health insurance company also covers preventive examinations before the age of 55 if necessary. The family doctor treating the patient can be consulted on this. In most cases, intestinal polyps do not cause symptoms and therefore often remain undetected for a long time.
However, larger polyps in particular sometimes cause unspecific symptoms such as blood in the stool or abdominal pain. Recurrent diarrhea can also be an indication of intestinal polyps. Often, intestinal polyps also lead to an alternation of diarrhea and constipation.
The uppermost cell layer of intestinal polyps can tear open, which can cause occasional bleeding. The affected persons then notice small amounts of blood in the stool. In most cases the blood is light red due to the fresh bleeding, but a black color is also possible.
This is the case when the blood has been in the bowel for a longer period of time, where it decomposes and turns dark. Often the blood is not visible to the naked eye and is then called hidden (occult) blood. Special tests provide information about whether there is blood in the stool.
