Large polyps that partially block the bowel can cause abdominal cramps and pain. A change in the color of stools. Minor polyp bleeding can cause red stripes in the stool, and heavier bleeding can make the stool appear black.
Most people with polyps won't be aware of them as they produce no symptoms and are often discovered by accident. However, some larger polyps can cause: a small amount of rectal bleeding (blood in your stool) mucus to be produced when you open your bowels.
Common Symptoms of Colon Polyps
Changes in Stool Color – Blood can wind up in your stool, often causing your stool to appear black or much darker in color.
They look like bumps growing from the inside lining of the bowel protruding out. They sometimes grow on a “stalk” and look like mushrooms. Some polyps can be flat. People can have several polyps scattered in different parts of the colon.
Change in shape
Thin stools are a sign of colon cancer. Any time you notice a narrow or ribbon-like stool, it indicates changes in your colon.
It goes dark red or black and can make your poo look like tar. This type of bleeding can be a sign of cancer higher up the bowel. Or it could be from a bleeding stomach ulcer for example. It is important to go to your doctor if you have any bleeding and get checked.
Changes in the shape of stool can be another sign of colon or rectal cancer. As a tumor grows in the colon or rectum, it can change the shape of the bowel that the stool passes through. This may cause stools to become thinner, pencil-like, or flat in shape.
Bowel polyps do not usually cause any symptoms, so most people with polyps will not know they have them. They're often picked up during screening for bowel cancer. But some larger polyps can cause: a small amount of slime (mucus) or blood in your poo (rectal bleeding)
When a polyp is adenomatous, the color is more likely to be deep red or purple whereas the color of a non-adenomatous lesion tends to be yellow or white.
Most cancers in the colon or rectum develop from polyps, so screening to find and remove them when they first form helps prevent them from growing into cancers. If early-stage colorectal cancer does cause symptoms, early warning signs may include sudden weight loss and/or narrow, ribbon-like stools.
Large polyps can obstruct the bowel and cause abdominal pain or cramping.
Stool tests.
Currently, three types of stool tests are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to screen for colorectal cancer: guaiac FOBT (gFOBT); the fecal immunochemical (or immunohistochemical) test (FIT, also known as iFOBT); and multitargeted stool DNA testing (also known as FIT-DNA).
Colon polyps and diverticulitis have similar symptoms that include: Abdominal pain. Bloating. Constipation.
Most polyps grow slowly and take from between 10 and 15 years to become cancerous. Due to this general time frame, most screenings are scheduled every 10 years which gives Colorectal Surgical Associates time to remove any polyps before they become cancerous.
Transvaginal ultrasound.
A slender, wandlike device placed in the vagina emits sound waves and creates an image of the uterus, including its insides. A polyp might be clearly present or there might be an area of thickened endometrial tissue.
Mushy stool with fluffy pieces that have a pudding-shaped consistency is an early stage of diarrhea. This form of stool has passed through the colon quickly due to stress or a dramatic change in diet or activity level. When mushy stool occurs, it's hard to control the urge or timing of the bowel movement.
It may take up to 10 years for some polyps to become cancerous. Screening tests, including a colonoscopy, can help detect colon polyps.
If a polyp has cancerous cells, they will also biopsy nearby lymph nodes to determine if the cancer has spread or metastasized to other areas of the body. In this case radiation, chemotherapy or other therapies may be recommended. Colonoscopy screenings can be life saving!
It takes approximately 10 years for a small polyp to develop into cancer. Family history and genetics — Polyps and colon cancer tend to run in families, suggesting that genetic factors are important in their development.
Pain. A large colon polyp can block part of your bowel, leading to crampy abdominal pain. Rectal bleeding. This can be a sign of colon polyps or cancer or other conditions, such as hemorrhoids or minor tears of the anus.
Unfortunately, polyps can be easily mistaken for fibroids because they look similar in imaging tests and they can both cause heavy menstrual bleeding, cramping, and abdominal pain.
Most people with colon polyps have no symptoms and don't know they have them. But if you have symptoms — like rectal bleeding, blood in your stools, or other bowel changes — you should see your provider.
Most people who are eventually diagnosed with bowel cancer have one of the following combinations of symptoms: a persistent change in bowel habit that causes them to go to the toilet more often and pass looser stools, usually together with blood on or in their stools.
Stool from Colon Cancer does not always have a "typical" appearance, and stool color will depend on how advanced your Cancer has become and what nutrients you may be lacking in your Colon, resulting in constipation, diarrhea, or neither.