Patient guide
BUILD NOTE: this page was drafted for the refresh and has NOT yet been read by Dr Chen. Clinical content, and the medical-review byline above, must be confirmed by him before the domain cutover.
A polyp is a small growth on the inner lining of the large bowel. Most are benign. They are common, become more common with age, and are found in a significant proportion of people who have a screening colonoscopy after the age of 50.
The reason polyps matter is that some types can slowly change and develop into colorectal cancer. Most colorectal cancers begin as adenomatous polyps, and the change from polyp to cancer takes 5 to 10 years.1 Removing a polyp interrupts that process, and finding and removing polyps is one of the main purposes of colonoscopy, which examines the whole large bowel directly.1
The type is confirmed by sending the removed polyp for examination under a microscope.
Most polyps cause no symptoms, and are discovered during screening. When symptoms do occur they may include:
These symptoms have many other causes, including piles. They should be assessed rather than assumed.
Polyps are found during a colonoscopy. About 90% can be removed at the same time, so a separate operation is usually not needed.1 This is called a polypectomy. Smaller polyps may be removed with a snare or forceps; larger or flatter ones may require a technique in which fluid is injected beneath the polyp to lift it before removal.
Very large polyps, or polyps in an awkward position, occasionally need a further endoscopic procedure or, less often, surgery. Dr Chen will explain which applies to you if it arises.
The polyp is sent for examination. The result determines when you should have your next colonoscopy, since people who have had adenomas are usually advised to have surveillance earlier than the standard screening interval. The interval depends on the number, size and type of polyps found.
As a guide to the intervals used in Singapore, a follow-up colonoscopy is usually 1 to 3 years after removal for high-risk polyps, meaning those larger than 1cm, multiple polyps, or those with villous architecture, and 3 to 5 years for low-risk polyps. Where a polyp was not fully removed, a repeat is arranged within 6 months.2 Dr Chen will advise after reviewing your results.
Speak to a doctor if you notice bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habit, or unexplained weight loss or abdominal pain. In Singapore, screening is recommended from age 50 for people at average risk,1 so if you are 50 or older and have never been screened, it is worth discussing colorectal cancer screening even with no symptoms present.
Most polyps are benign and are not cancer. Certain types, particularly adenomas and sessile serrated lesions, can change slowly over years and develop into cancer, and are removed upon discovery.
The bowel lining has very few pain nerves, and a colonoscopy is usually done under sedation, so polyp removal is not normally felt. Some bloating or cramping can follow as trapped air passes.
The interval depends on the number, size and type of polyps found, and is set once the laboratory result is available. A follow-up colonoscopy is usually 1 to 3 years after removal for high-risk polyps, meaning those larger than 1cm, multiple polyps, or those with villous architecture, and 3 to 5 years for low-risk polyps.2 Dr Chen will advise after reviewing your results.
A polyp that has been completely removed does not usually grow back in the same place, but new polyps can form elsewhere in the bowel. Follow-up colonoscopy is arranged at the interval your surgeon advises.
BUILD NOTE: every figure on this page carries a numbered citation. Both sources were fetched and checked on 22 September 2026. The surveillance intervals come from a claims document rather than a clinical guideline; Dr Chen should confirm they match his own practice before cutover.
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