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Colon Polyps - Causes

Causes Of Colon Polyps

Majority of polyps are not cancerous (malignant) but like most cancers, polyps are the result of abnormal cell growth.  Healthy cells grow and divide in an orderly way, a process which is controlled by two broad groups of genes.  Mutations in any of these genes can cause cells to continue dividing even when new cells are not needed.  In the colon and rectum, this unregulated growth can cause polyps to form.  Over time, some of these polyps can become malignant.
Polyps can develop anywhere in the large intestine, and can be small or large and flat, or mushroom shaped and attached to a stalk (pedunculated).  Small and mushroom shaped polyps are much less likely to become malignant than flat or large ones.  In general, the bigger the polyp, the greater the risk of cancer.

There are 3 main types of colon polyps:

Adenomatous - Around two thirds of all polyps fall under this category, and while only a small percentage of these polyps become cancerous, almost all malignant polyps are adenomatous.

Hyperplastic - Majority of the remaining polyps are hyperplastic.  These polyps usually occur in the left (descending) colon and rectum.  They are usually about a half of centimeter in size and are very rarely malignant.

Inflammatory - These polyps may follow a bout of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease of the colon.  Though the polyps themselves are not a significant threat, having ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease of the colon, increases the overall risk of colon cancer.

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