Patient Education: Diseases Conditions Treatments & Procedures

Polyps

Introduction

Cervical polyps- growths on the cervix where it opens into the vagina. Polyps are usually cherry-red to reddish-purple or grayish-white. They vary in size and often look like bulbs on thin stems. Cervical polyps are usually not cancerous (benign) and can occur alone or in groups. Because rare types of cancerous conditions can look like polyps, all polyps should be removed and examined for signs of cancer.

Colonic polyps- growths inside the large intestine, also called the colon. Some polyps are mushroom-shaped protrusions on the end of a stalk. Others appear as bumps that lie flat against the intestinal wall. There are several types of colonic polyps. Most are noncancerous (benign), but one type, the adenomatous polyp, is associated with changes (called mutations) in the DNA of the lining of the colon. These mutations can progress into colon cancer.