Attention! A variety of factors can cause colorectal polyps, which may also turn into cancer!

Author: Fan Xueshun, Chief Physician of China-Japan Friendship Hospital

Reviewer: Lin Guole, Chief Physician, Peking Union Medical College Hospital

Colorectal polyps refer to a type of protruding disease that occurs in the colorectum, is higher than the colorectal mucosa, and has not yet been pathologically diagnosed. They are more common in the left colon and relatively rare in the right colon.

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1. What are the main causes of colorectal polyps?

There are three main factors that cause colorectal polyps: one is related to diet, one is related to smoking and drinking, and the other is related to genetic factors.

A diet, such as a high-fat, high-protein, low-fiber diet, will cause stool to stay in the intestines for a long time, and toxins irritating the intestines can easily lead to colorectal polyps.

Long-term drinking and smoking can cause the body's immunity to be weakened, making it easy to get this disease.

Another factor is genetics. According to incomplete statistics, genetics can lead to the occurrence of some polyps, especially familial polyposis, which is more related to genetics.

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Of course, in addition to the above factors, there are many other factors that may also cause colorectal polyps. What we can do is mainly to maintain good living habits, so as to minimize the occurrence of colorectal polyps.

As people's living standards improve, especially after middle age, the incidence of colorectal polyps is gradually increasing. However, there is no exact statistical data on the specific incidence.

2. What are the symptoms of colorectal polyps?

One of the main symptoms of colorectal polyps is blood in the stool. The amount of bleeding varies depending on the number and location of the polyps. But in general, the amount of blood in the stool is not large, but long-term blood in the stool may lead to anemia.

The second symptom is mucus and blood in the stool. Because the polyp grows in a certain place, due to the inflammatory stimulation of the polyp, it will produce mucus, so the stool, mucus and blood will be mixed together.

The third symptom is diarrhea. Due to the stimulation of polyps, intestinal peristalsis speeds up and the intestinal function of absorbing water weakens, the stool becomes loose. You may normally have 3-5 bowel movements a day. In case of acute attack, you may have more than 10 bowel movements a day.

In addition, some patients may have dull abdominal pain, which is not severe pain or unbearable pain, but a dull pain in the left or right lower abdomen. Later, according to the doctor's advice, further examinations were conducted and intestinal polyps were found.

Some patients may not have obvious symptoms, but physical examinations reveal polyps in the intestines.

3. Will colorectal polyps turn into cancer?

If it is a hyperplastic polyp or inflammatory polyp, it is generally rare to become cancerous.

However, if it is a neoplastic adenoma, such as tubular adenoma, villous adenoma, or villous tubular adenoma, which are collectively referred to as precancerous lesions, there is a risk of cancer over time. Especially if the base is very large, or its pedicle is very long, more than two centimeters, and it often twists, the risk of cancer is still very high.

So how do we judge whether there is cancer? It is mainly based on colonoscopy, and finally pathological examination is needed to determine its nature through pathology.

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Therefore, no matter what type of polyp, whether it is cancerous or not, you must maintain long-term contact with your doctor so that you can determine at any time whether it is cancerous or not. Patients themselves must pay full attention to colorectal polyps.

4. What should patients with colorectal polyps pay attention to in their daily lives?

First of all, you must make sure you are in a good mood and not be too nervous, because nervousness may lead to sympathetic nerve excitement and cause intestinal spasm, which can easily lead to intestinal ischemia, which is not conducive to the patient's recovery. In addition, patients with intestinal spasm also have poor bowel movements and their stools are prone to dryness, which is not good for this disease.

The second is definitely diet. For example, fatty, greasy, fried, smoked, and low-fiber foods will stay in the intestines for too long, toxins will increase, and bowel movements will become slower, so you must pay attention to this as well.

In terms of diet, it is recommended to combine meat and vegetables, and even to focus on vegetarian and crude fiber foods. Since you are sick, you must be especially careful about your diet, eat more dietary fiber, and keep your bowel movements smooth, so as to reduce irritation and reduce recurrence.

Foods rich in dietary fiber, such as okra, spinach, celery, and bananas, are all fine, including yogurt. They can promote digestion and absorb moisture in the intestines, increasing the volume of stool, so that bowel movements will be smooth.

The third is drinking and smoking, because there is information showing that people who smoke for a long time are more likely to get colon cancer, which is also something to pay attention to.