Colon Polyps
Adenomatous polyps are a common type. They are gland-like growths that develop on the mucous membrane that lines the large intestine. Colon and rectal polyps can lead to colon cancer if the polyps are not removed during a colonoscopy. They have a proclivity to transform into a malignancy. Adenomatous polyps have between a 5% and 40% chance of becoming a colorectal cancer, depending on which type of polyp exists on the lining. Additionally, the larger the polyp, the greater the chance that it will become a cancer or already is a cancer. Polyps less than 1 cm in size are less often troublesome. Over 1 cm in size, and the polyp has a greater chance of harboring or developing a malignancy.
From this it is obvious that obtaining a colon and rectal screening via a colonoscopy, will lessen your chances that you will have to deal with a colon or rectal cancer.
There are 2 common types of polyps, the hyperplastic polyp and the adenomatous polyp. The adenomatous polyps are further subdivided into 3 groups, the tubular adenoma, the tubulovillous adenoma and the villous adenoma. These are all fancy medical terms for a “bad” type of polyp. There is also a serrated adenoma which has an even higher risk of malignant transformation.
- Tunular adenoma – An adenoma is a type of polyp, or a small cluster of cells that forms on the lining of your colon.
- Tubulovillous adenoma – A type of polyp that grows in the colon and other places in the gastrointestinal tract and sometimes in other parts of the body. These adenomas may become malignant (cancer).
- Villous adenoma – These are sessile growths lined by dysplastic glandular epithelium, whose risk of malignancy is especially high up to 50% when greater than 2 cm in size. Large size, villous content, and distal location are all associated with severe dysplasia in colorectal adenomas.
Board-certified physicians Dr. Ranvir Singh, Dr. Stephen Rashbaum, and Dr. Nitin Parikh, Dr. Long B. Nguyen, and providers Tammi D’Elena, PA-C; Vanessa T. Dang, MSN, APRN; are committed to providing you with the most comprehensive screening and results better than the national benchmarks. They care for patients in the North Atlanta, GA, area including Alpharetta, GA; Johns Creek, GA; Cumming, GA; and Lawrenceville, GA. The In-House Endoscopy Suite at Digestive Care Physicians is a certified facility which has achieved the highest level of accreditation by the Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). If you suffer from abdominal pain, contact us at (770) 227-2222 to schedule an appointment.
