Because your doctor cannot be certain of the tissue type by the polyp's appearance, doctors generally recommend removing all polyps found during a colonoscopy.

What happens if polyps are not removed?

The most common are hyperplastic and adenomatous polyps. Hyperplastic polyps do not have the potential to become cancerous. However, some adenomatous polyps can turn into cancer if not removed. Patients with adenomatous polyps have an increased chance of developing more polyps.

When should polyps be removed?

In 3 to 5 years if you had three or four adenomas. In three years if you had 5 to 10 adenomas, adenomas larger than 10 millimeters, or certain types of adenomas. Within six months if you had multiple adenomas, a very large adenoma or an adenoma that had to be removed in pieces.