When do benign colon polyps turn cancerous?

Subjectivity can make the disease worse

A 28-year-old male patient in Hanoi 3 years ago went for a routine health check-up and found 2 small colorectal polyps, the doctor concluded it was benign and suggested he monitor it˳ In the first year, the patient said that he had complied with the examination once every 6 months, but then he did not see any symptoms, so he subjectively did not examine˳

Recently, the patient had symptoms of bloody stools, and when he went to the doctor, he found that the polyps were large, cancerous, and had metastasized in many places˳

Similarly, a 32-year-old female patient, had prolonged bloody stools, thought it was due to hemorrhoids and constipation, until the endoscopy detected large polyps K, wide legs…

Assoc˳ Prof˳ Dr˳ Nguyen Anh Tuan, head of gastrointestinal surgery department, 108 Military Central Hospital, said that most of the patients he met had initial symptoms such as bloody stools, bloating, abdominal distension…

The cause is largely subjective because colon polyps are a type of benign lesion caused by cell proliferation on the lining of the colon˳ Colon polyps usually cause no symptoms and are usually not dangerous˳ However, some polyps can become colon cancer if not detected and removed promptly˳

Remove early to avoid cancer

Assoc˳

According to studies, about 25-40% of adults age 50 and older may have colon polyps˳ However, only a small fraction of polyps are malignant or have the potential to become cancerous˳

“Detecting and removing colon polyps is important for preventing the development of colon cancer˳ It’s important to have a colon screening test, such as a fecal blood test (FIT) or colonoscopy˳ colonoscopy, can help detect and remove polyps at the right time” – Assoc˳ Prof˳ Dr˳ Nguyen Anh Tuan emphasized˳

Colon polyps often cause no obvious symptoms, especially when they are small˳ However, as polyps get larger or have malignant changes, a number of symptoms may appear, including:

– Digestive disorders: Large polyps or a large number of polyps can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, including colon bleeding (seeing blood in stools or black stools), changes in stool condition (constipation or diarrhea)˳ unexplained bleeding), fatigue due to lack of blood pigment (which causes anemia)˳

– Abdominal pain or discomfort: Large colon polyps can cause pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen or colon area˳

– Change in bowel habits: Some people with colon polyps may experience changes in bowel behavior, including a feeling that the stool hasn’t been completely emptied after going to the bathroom˳

Unexplained weight loss: In some cases when polyps are large or have malignant changes, the person may experience unexplained weight loss˳

If colon polyps are not removed, some polyps can progress in the following ways:

– Increase sizeColon polyps can continue to grow and increase in size over time˳ Small polyps can initially become larger and can cause symptoms such as digestive upset and bleeding˳

Malignant changes: Some polyps can become malignant (cancerous) over time˳ Malignant changes in polyps can lead to the formation of a colon cancerous tumor˳

– Spread and spread: If the polyp becomes malignant, it can spread into the layers of tissue surrounding the colon and possibly spread to other parts of the body, causing advanced colon cancer˳

– Create baby polypsSome types of colon polyps have the ability to produce baby polyps˳ This can lead to the growth and accumulation of many polyps in the colon˳

“Because malignant transformation can occur, it is important to detect and remove colon polyps promptly through screening tests and routine screening, in order to prevent the development of colon cancer˳ ” – Assoc˳ Prof˳ Dr˳ Nguyen Anh Tuan emphasized˳

How to eat healthy to reduce cancer risk

Diet is associated with 30-40% of cancers in men and up to 60% of cancers in women˳ There are foods that are listed as facilitating cancer growth, but there are also foods that help prevent cancer very effectively˳