How can malignant intestinal polyps be detected?
Initially benign excrescences from the intestinal mucosa can develop over time into malignant intestinal polyps. Depending on the size and type of the polyp, the proliferations have a varying risk of degeneration. Most polyps are adenomas.
These are new formations of the intestinal mucosa. These polyps have the highest risk of developing into a carcinoma. Especially large polyps often become malignant and should therefore be removed in time.
Large polyps that are malignant can cause various symptoms. These include abdominal pain, blood or mucus deposits in the stool, changes in stool behaviour (diarrhoea or constipation) and flatulence. However, these symptoms can also be caused by harmless benign intestinal polyps and are not a clear indication of degeneration.
Unexplained weight loss in the last few weeks and severe fatigue can indicate malignant intestinal polyps. However, a degenerated intestinal polyp can only be clearly diagnosed by a doctor through a colonoscopy. This topic might also be of interest to you:
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How fast do intestinal polyps grow?
Normally, benign intestinal polyps grow very slowly and it takes several years before a polyp can develop into a malignant tumor. Therefore, regular preventive medical checkups in the form of colonoscopies from the age of 50 are very useful, since malignant growths can be detected and removed very early. In general, the faster a polyp grows, the higher is its risk of degeneration.
Very small colon polyps can be removed with forceps during the endoscopic examination. Slightly larger colon polyps are removed with the help of an electrical snare.Both procedures are called endoscopic polypectomy. In case of an accumulation of polyps, it may be necessary to perform this treatment in several sessions.
The removed tissue is always examined histologically to rule out the possibility of a malignant growth. Polyps that are particularly large (3-5 cm) must be operated on. The corresponding section of the intestine is completely removed.
If there is a familial polyposis, the entire intestine must be removed. In addition, a human genetic consultation is performed to clarify the risk of heredity. In this case, further diagnostics must be performed to rule out that other organs are already affected.
