06/04/2026
🔵 Pólipos
The smaller the polyp, the less likely it is to be on the road to cancer. Polyps can range in size from the less-than-5-millimeter “diminutive” category to the over-30-millimeter “giants.”
To put those sizes in perspective, a diminutive polyp is about the size of a match head. Larger polyps can be almost as big as the average person’s thumb. Studies show that few smaller polyps are cancerous. As polyps slowly grow, however, the cancer risk rises. It’s estimated that it takes about 10 years for cancer to form into a colorectal polyp.
Doctors examine removed polyps under a microscope for a close-up look at their cells. The review is to determine levels of dysplasia, a term used to describe how cancerous polyps appear on a cellular level.
Polyps with signs of high-grade dysplasia have disorganized cells with a larger, darker center. These dysplastic cells often grow wildly, a sign that cancer may have been close to forming in the polyp.
Your healthcare provider may recommend a follow-up colonoscopy sooner than normal if they find polyps with high-grade dysplasia. It’s a finding that warrants increased attention.
Polyps with cells that look only mildly abnormal are labeled as having low-grade dysplasia and are of less concern.
Though not all polyps turn into cancer, all colorectal cancers start as polyps. Removal eliminates the threat posed by a polyp. Keeping up with your colonoscopies allows your doctors to do just that.
