Intestinal polyps are benign tumors of the colon and rectum. These growths are formed at the inner wall of the colon, at the level of the mucosa. There are several types of polyps: some do not evolve and will always remain benign (hyperplastic polyps, hamartomatous polyps, and inflammatory polyps) and others are likely to evolve into cancerous tumors (adenomatous polyps, also called adenomas).
Adenomatous polyps or adenomas are precancerous lesions representing approximately 70 to 75% of polyps. They are likely to progress to colon cancer.
Intestinal polyps are removed when they are detected to prevent an eventual colon cancer.
