Can Polyps Become Cancerous?

You may already be aware that lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer today.  But are you aware of what sort of cancer is the second biggest?  It's colorectal cancer. This kind of cancer causes as many as 650,000 deaths worldwide every year, often even more. You may find this difficult to believe, but it's true: colon cancer begins at a very tiny level.  Small masses of cells, which are called polyps, start to grow inside your colon.  Alone, they are not a real threat.  But over a period of time, usually about five to ten years, it is possible that these polyps will become cancerous. So maybe you can see why colon health is so very important.

Cancer occurs when something affects the normal division of cells in your body, and it gets out of control, with your cells growing at rates much higher than they should. Your whole body consists of cells, and when they grow and divide normally, they tend to take care of themselves, and without any real input from you on top of it.  But sometimes things get messed up, as things are apt to do, and instead of dividing to grow new cells as they are needed, cancer causes growth to continue without any need for new cells.

In the case of your colon, this excess growth may start in the form of tiny polyps.  The very existence of polyps inside your colon does not indicate that you have gotten colon cancer.  But take care, because there is a good chance that over a long period of years, these polyps could turn cancerous.  Since there are initially no symptoms, the only real way to find polyps is if you get a particular test called a "colonoscopy".

A colonoscopy uses a flexible fiber-optic cable with a camera on its end; following sedation and lubrication, this camera is placed into your rectum and led up into your lower intestine. Then, the colonoscopy operator and your doctor are able to examine the inside of your lower intestine in real time movement, alive and well, and search for any abnormalities and polyps. Though this process may sound both embarrassing and painful, a colonoscopy is definitely necessary for maintaining good colon health, especially for patients at risk of colorectal cancer. Remember, age is the biggest risk factor, because about 90% of all colorectal cancer cases happen in people over the age of 50.

Through the course of the colonoscopy, your doctor may discover polyps in your colon; if this happens, he will probably take a small sample to figure out if they are cancerous or not. In some particular cases, your doctor may choose to remove the entire polyp even during the colonoscopy. Remember, there is not any cause for immediate alarm if your doctor happens to discover polyps within your colon. There are a variety of types of polyps and not all of these are at risk of becoming cancerous.  Polyps called adenomas are those with the highest risk of becoming cancerous and these are often removed the moment they are found. And again, if you get a colonoscopy and in that process, your doctor finds polyps in your colon, don't panic. Polyps, even adenomas, are really quite common in the colon and are often discovered and removed in colonoscopies.

You may ask if getting a colon detox on a regular basis can avert the buildup of precancerous polyps. Even though no definitive link has been established through clinical research, regularly getting your colon cleansed may help you to avoid the development of polyps.  Also, one of the big risk factors toward getting colorectal cancer is failing to empty your colon.  If you pay more attention to colon health and perform a regular colon detox, it is possible that you will lower your risk of acquiring dangerous precancerous polyps.

You should keep in mind that another risk factor for colorectal cancer is idleness. If your lifestyle is characterized by a lack of activity, waste tends to stay in your colon even longer.  The slow movement and buildup of waste in your colon could lead to more negative outcomes for colon health.

Low-fiber, high-fat diets have also been shown as a benefactor in the development of precancerous polyps and the later growths of colon cancer.  Altering your diet and lifestyle could lead you to a major improvement in colon health.  If you fill your diet with fiber-rich foods and cut back on those fatty foods, you will greatly lower your risk of developing colon cancer.  While you begin this new diet and lifestyle, if you wish to try getting a colon cleanse and complete colon detox, look into it. It will ease the emptying of your colon and accelerate your progress toward overall wellness.