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- $Unique_ID{BRK00430}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Are Colon Polyps Cancerous?}
- $Subject{colon polyps cancer cancers Digestive Cancerous neoplasm neoplasms
- Reagan President Reagan pedunculated sessile intestine lesion hyperplastic
- adenomas precancerous polyp colonic carcinoma}
- $Volume{I-12,B-12}
- $Log{
- Anatomy of the Colon*0001601.scf
- Colonoscopic View of Colon Conditions*0002803.scf}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- Are Colon Polyps Cancerous?
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-
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-
- QUESTION: I recently had the same examination as the President (Reagan). I
- must have leadership qualities too, as they discovered that I also have polyps
- in my colon. My doctor removed them. Does this mean they were cancerous?
-
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-
- ANSWER: You and many others share this condition with our President, as
- polyps of the colon are the most commonly found in the digestive tract. There
- are two type of polyps, pedunculated (attached by a thin stem or stalk) or
- sessile (attached to the wall of the intestine by a broad base). Although
- they occur as a single lesion in most patients, some individuals with a an
- inherited syndrome may have literally hundreds of polyps growing. The most
- common type of colon polyps are classified as hyperplastic (excessive growth
- of normal tissue) or as adenomas (benign growths of glandular tissue). While
- hyperplastic polyps probably remain benign, adenomas are considered to be
- precancerous. Since these classifications are the result of a microscopic
- study of the tissue, and to take no chances of leaving any possible cancerous
- growths behind, all polyps are removed and then classified. You will have to
- ask your doctor for the tissue report of your polyps to find out just what
- they were, but the probability is that they were benign, and your operation
- prevented a dangerous cancer from occurring. And as I so frequently write
- here, prevention is just about the best kind of medicine there is.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
-
-