Neoplastic polyps are adenomas and have the potential to develop into malignant cancers.
The incidence of colorectal malignancies are 2 to 5 times higher in patients with adenomatous polyps than in those without them. Patients with multiple polyps are twice as likely to develop carcinomas as patients with a single polyp. The diagnosis of colonic polyps is made at colonoscopy by the gastroenterologist, and if the biopsy is shown to be that of a malignant polyp, the patient should proceed to surgery. However, a significant number of polyps are benign in nature and after removal do not require surgery.