Five Types of Polyps
Before bowel cancer(colon cancer) develops it usually starts as a polyp.
Polyps are not cancers and a large majority won't become bowel cancer However certain types do from polyps and then to premalignant and eventually malignant bowel cancer. Removal of polyps during a colonoscopy reduces the risk of developing colon cancer in the future.
The most common types of colon and rectal polyps are:
Adenomatous (tubular adenoma)
70% most common only a small percentage turns into cancer.
Hyperplastic
Common, extremely low risk for turning cancerous.
Serrated
Larger serrated polyps may become cancerous.
Inflammatory
Benign occur with inflammatory bowel disease patients, generally do not carry the risk of developing into Bowel cancer.
Villous Adenoma (Tubulovillous Adenoma)
15% percent of polyps detected in colon cancer screening are villous or tubulovillous adenomas. High risk of turning CANCEROUS, difficult to remove as flat.
It has been found in recent studies that KRAS mutation was an independent predictor of the development of advanced polyps and advanced adenomas, and it was a stronger predictor than other characteristics, like the size or number of lesions at baseline.
Coloalert tests for KRAS mutation as one it's 4 testing parameters and hence a predictor of a premalignant turning cancerous.