Colon polyps: symptoms, risks, removal and which doctor to see
What colon polyps are, why some matter and most do not, how colonoscopy finds and removes them, and when to see a gastroenterologist.
Also known as: Colon polyps
What colon polyps are
A polyp is a small growth of extra tissue that sticks out from a lining inside the body. Colonic polyps grow from the inner lining of the large intestine (the colon) or the rectum, the last part of the bowel. Some are flat, some sit on a short stalk like a tiny mushroom, and they range from the size of a grain of rice to a few centimetres across.
Most polyps are harmless and stay that way. A few types, however, can slowly change over years into colorectal cancer. Because nobody can tell for certain which polyp will do this just by looking, doctors usually remove polyps when they find them and send them to a laboratory. Finding and removing polyps early is one of the most effective ways of preventing bowel cancer.
Types of polyp
- Adenomas — the most common type that can turn into cancer if left for a long time
- Serrated polyps — some of these, particularly larger ones in the right side of the colon, also carry a risk
- Hyperplastic and inflammatory polyps — usually low risk; inflammatory polyps are seen in people with long-standing bowel inflammation
In general, the larger a polyp and the more of them a person has, the higher the chance that one contains early cancer changes. The laboratory report on a removed polyp guides what happens next.
Symptoms
Most people with polyps have no symptoms at all. That is why they are often found during a colonoscopy done for another reason or for screening. When polyps do cause symptoms, these can include:
- Rectal bleeding — bright red blood on the toilet paper or in the pan
- Blood in the stool, which can make it look dark or streaked with red
- A change in bowel habit — new constipation or diarrhoea lasting more than a few weeks
- Anaemia from slow, hidden blood loss, causing tiredness, breathlessness or pale skin
- Rarely, abdominal pain or mucus in the stool from a large polyp
These symptoms are much more often caused by piles (haemorrhoids), fissures or infection than by polyps. But rectal bleeding should never simply be assumed to be piles, especially after middle age or with a family history of bowel cancer. Let a doctor examine you.
Causes and risk factors
Polyps form when cells in the bowel lining grow and divide more than they should, usually because of changes in their genes that build up over a lifetime. Anyone can develop them, but they are more likely if you:
- Are older — the risk rises steadily after middle age
- Have a parent, brother, sister or child who had colon polyps or bowel cancer, especially at a young age
- Have long-standing ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease affecting the colon
- Smoke, drink alcohol regularly, or are overweight
- Eat a diet high in red and processed meat and low in fibre, and are physically inactive
- Have an inherited condition such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch syndrome, which cause polyps or bowel cancer at a young age
How polyps are found
- Colonoscopy — a thin, flexible tube with a camera is passed through the back passage to look at the whole colon. It is done under sedation after a bowel preparation drink that empties the bowel. It is the main test because polyps can be removed at the same time.
- Stool test — tests that look for hidden blood in a stool sample. A positive result does not mean cancer, but it needs to be followed by a colonoscopy.
- Sigmoidoscopy — a shorter examination of the rectum and lower colon only.
- CT colonography — a special CT scan of the bowel, sometimes used when colonoscopy is not possible. If it shows a polyp, a colonoscopy is still needed to remove it.
A good bowel preparation matters: if the bowel is not clean, small polyps can be missed and the test may need to be repeated. Follow the instructions about diet and the preparation drink carefully, and tell the doctor in advance about diabetes medicines and blood thinners, which may need to be adjusted.
Treatment
Most polyps are removed during colonoscopy, a procedure called polypectomy. The doctor uses a small wire loop or forceps passed through the colonoscope to cut the polyp away. It is usually painless because the bowel lining does not feel cutting, and most people go home the same day. Larger or flat polyps may need specialised endoscopic techniques at a larger centre.
Each removed polyp is sent for a biopsy examination under the microscope. The report says what type it is, whether it was completely removed, and whether there are any cancer cells. Most reports show a benign polyp. If cancer is found, or a polyp is too large or awkwardly placed to remove through the scope, surgery to remove that part of the bowel may be advised, and an oncologist may join the team.
Polypectomy carries small risks, mainly bleeding (which can occur up to a couple of weeks later) and, rarely, a tear in the bowel wall. Seek help if you pass a lot of blood or develop severe tummy pain or fever after the procedure.
Follow-up
People who have had certain polyps are more likely to grow new ones. Your doctor will recommend surveillance colonoscopy at an interval based on the number, size and type of polyps removed and your family history. Some people with only small, low-risk polyps may not need early repeat tests. Where an inherited syndrome is suspected, genetic counselling and testing of family members may be offered.
Lowering your risk
- Do not smoke, and limit alcohol
- Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and dals, and cut down on red and processed meat
- Stay active and keep a healthy weight
- If close relatives had bowel cancer or polyps, tell your doctor and ask when you should start having colonoscopy
- Keep up with any surveillance colonoscopy you have been advised
When to see a doctor, and when it is an emergency
See a doctor if you notice blood from the back passage, black stools, a change in your bowel habit lasting more than a few weeks, unexplained weight loss, or tiredness that could be anaemia. These need checking even if you feel well otherwise.
Call 112 or 108, or go to the nearest emergency department, if you pass a large amount of blood, feel faint or dizzy, have a racing heart, or develop severe abdominal pain with fever, especially after a colonoscopy. Heavy gastrointestinal bleeding is an emergency.
Which doctor to see
A gastroenterologist is the specialist who performs colonoscopy and removes most polyps, so they are usually the first doctor to see. A GI surgeon is involved when a polyp cannot be removed through the scope, and a medical oncologist joins care if a polyp turns out to contain cancer.
You can find gastroenterologists in Bengaluru or GI surgeons in Bengaluru on The Doctor Index, each with a registration you can check.
Common questions
Questions people ask
- Does a colon polyp mean I have cancer?
- No. Most polyps are benign, and many types never become cancer. Some can change slowly over years, which is why doctors remove them and examine them under a microscope. Your biopsy report will say what type the polyp was and whether any follow-up is needed.
- Is polyp removal painful?
- Removing a polyp during colonoscopy is usually not painful, because the inner lining of the bowel does not sense cutting. Sedation is normally given for the colonoscopy itself. Some people feel bloated or crampy afterwards from the air used to open the bowel.
- Will polyps come back after they are removed?
- A polyp that is completely removed usually does not grow back in the same place, but new polyps can form elsewhere in the colon. That is why your doctor may recommend a repeat colonoscopy after a set interval, depending on what was found.
- My father had bowel cancer. Should I be checked?
- Yes, tell your doctor. A close relative with bowel cancer or advanced polyps, especially at a younger age, raises your own risk. A gastroenterologist can advise when to start colonoscopy and how often to repeat it, and whether genetic counselling makes sense.
This condition is usually assessed by a gastroenterologist. Every profile shows the doctor’s registration and what has been checked.
Gastroenterologists in Bangalore
A few gastroenterologists listed on The Doctor Index. They are shown because of their speciality, not a stated interest in Colonic Polyps; ask the clinic whether the doctor sees it.
Related conditions
- Celiac Disease
- Constipation
- Crohn's Disease
- Diarrhea
- Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis
- Foodborne Illness
- Gallstones
- Gastroenteritis
All gastroenterology conditions →
Practical reading
All postsSources
- MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine — Colonic Polyps
- Government of India — Emergency Response Support System (112)
- MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine — Colonic Polyps — Public-domain health-topic summary
- Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium — terminology definitions — HPO licence; definitions reproduced without alteration
Colon polyps: symptoms, risks, removal and which doctor to see is original text by The Doctor Index; the compiled source draft was used for research. Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999; July 2026 data, CC BY 4.0. This product uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (hp/releases/2026-09-01). Only sources listed for this article apply. Source material has been selected and arranged; HPO definitions are reproduced without alteration. No source organisation endorses this compilation. Köhler S et al. The Human Phenotype Ontology project: linking molecular biology and disease through phenotype data. Nucleic Acids Research 2014;42(D1):D966–D974. doi:10.1093/nar/gkt1026.
General information, not advice about your situation. Errors can be reported through the corrections process. Reference TDI-C-0566.