I Have Colon Polyps: Now What?

M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Date: March 2010
Duration: 1:36

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The following is a presentation from the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Finding out you have colon polyps doesn't have to be frightening. Most colon polyps are not cancer. Yet, certain kinds of polyps may make you more likely to develop colon cancer.

The colon is part of your large intestine. A colon polyp is a growth on the inside lining of your colon. Your doctor looks for polyps during your colonoscopy. It's important for you to know what type of polyps your doctor found during your last colonoscopy, how many polyps you had and the size of the polyps.

This information will help you and your doctor decide how often you need to get future colonoscopies. Getting your colonoscopy done at the right time allows your doctor to find and remove any abnormal polyps before they turn into cancer. Doing this could possibly save your life!

Be sure to ask the clinic or doctor who performed your last colonoscopy for copies of your reports. Ask for both your colonoscopy and pathology reports. Take these reports to your next doctor's visit. . Your doctor can review the results with you and let you know when to schedule your next colonoscopy. For more information on colon cancer screening, visit M. D. Anderson's Cancer Screening Guidelines website.

To learn more about the different types of colon polyps, download our fact sheet, Colon Polyps: What I Need to Know. The fact sheet is available in the March issue of Focused on Health at www.mdanderson.org/focused.

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