You may know that colon polyps can lead to colon cancer, but you may not know what causes colon polyps. The answers may surprise you.
Colon polyps are small clumps of cells that can form on the lining of the lower intestine, or colon. Polyps can occur in several locations throughout your gastrointestinal tract, but they most commonly occur in your colon. Polyps can also develop in the last part of the colon, known as the rectum. Doctors often refer to conditions occurring in the colon and rectum together, using the term “colorectal.”