What is a gastric polyp?

**Gastric polyp** **Gastric polyp is an abnormal growth of tissue in the inner lining of the stomach. Stomach polyps are similar to other types of polyps in the form of mushroom-like stalks and small smooth bumps. In addition to the stomach, polyps may also develop in other parts of the body such as the intestine, cervix, nose, and throat.** ** There are different types of stomach polyps that may appear in certain areas of the stomach depending on the type. The location of the polyp helps to diagnose the type of disease. As mentioned, most gastric polyps are not cancerous, but some types have a higher risk of becoming cancerous.** **The stomach is an organ of the body that receives the chewed food. When we eat, food enters the stomach through the esophagus. Stomach contains acid and destroys many bacteria present in ingested food. It also contains juice that helps digestion. The digested food enters the small intestine so that its nutrients are absorbed and excess substances are excreted.** ** The stomach is made up of different layers, the innermost layer of which has a cell cover called epithelium. Most gastric polyps are also caused by the abnormal growth of cells in a part of the epithelium. Polyps are formed in different parts of the stomach, but they are more likely to form in the upper part of the stomach.**

**Types of gastric polyps** ** There are different types of gastric polyps, the reason for their formation is also different from each other. Some have little or no risk of becoming cancerous. But some of them have a higher risk of becoming a cancerous tumor.** - **Gastric Hyperplastic Polyp (GHP) : Hyperplastic polyps occur rarely and are created when a lot of mucus-secreting cells are produced in the stomach. These polyps usually have no symptoms, but in case of symptoms, they appear in the form of abdominal pain, premature fullness of the stomach, or symptoms of intermittent abdominal obstruction and gastrointestinal bleeding.** **The size of hyperplastic polyps is less than one centimeter, although sometimes they may be larger. These types of polyps rarely become cancerous, and the risk of becoming cancerous is higher in hyperplastic polyps with a size of more than 2 cm.** - **Fundic Gland Polyp (FGP): These polyps are the most common type of stomach polyps and rarely become cancerous. Fundic gland polyps are caused by irregular expansion and closing of cells that produce stomach acid.** **The probability of fundic gland polyps becoming cancerous is high in people with a history of familial adenomatous polyposis syndrome (FAP). The cause of this type of polyp is the continuous use of omeprazole and similar drugs to treat gastric reflux disease or stomach bacterial infection.** - **Adenomatous polyps or adenoma: Adenoma polyps occur in people who have inflammation of the stomach and originate from the tissue of the stomach glands and are created when some of the cells in a person's stomach grow in unusual and non-cancerous ways.** **If the size of adenomatous polyps exceeds 1 cm, the possibility of their becoming cancerous increases. But in any case, adenoma polyps must be removed from the stomach and their removal is done by endoscopy.** **Research shows that 17-42% of gastric polyps diagnosed by doctors during endoscopy are hyperplastic type, 37-77% are fundic type and 0.5-1% are adenomatous polyps.**

**Who gets stomach polyps?** **The probability of getting stomach polyps is the same for adult men and women, and a person of any age may get it, although with age, especially in people over 65, the probability of getting stomach polyps increases. Certain types of polyps, such as fundic gland polyps, are usually seen in middle-aged women.** **Reasons of gastric polyps** ** There are various reasons for stomach polyps. But in general, any factor that causes the abnormal growth of stomach cells can cause stomach polyps. Some of the causes of gastric polyps are:** - **Chronic inflammatory problems of the stomach** - **pernicious anemia** - **Helicobacter pylori infection** - **Injury to the stomach such as creating an ulcer on the stomach** - **Drugs used to treat gastric reflux, such as Omeprazole** - **Genetics and presence of gastric polyp disease among family members**

**Be sure to read: What is flatulence?**

**symptoms of stomach polyps** **In many cases, stomach polyps are asymptomatic, but when the size of the polyps increases, the following symptoms may appear in the person:** - **Heartache or pain in the abdomen as a result of pressing the abdomen** - **Presence of blood in stool** - **Vomiting that can lead to anemia.** - **symptoms of stomach obstruction, such as weight loss or severe vomiting** - **Anemia or anemia caused by iron deficiency** - **Decreased appetite** - **difficulty in swallowing** **What factors increase the risk of stomach polyps?** - **Age: Stomach polyps are more common among middle-aged to late adults.** - **Bacterial infection of the stomach: Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach infection, is one of the common causes of gastritis, which contributes to polyps and hyperplastic adenomas.** - **Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): This disease is a rare genetic syndrome that increases the risk of developing colon cancer and stomach polyps.** - **Using certain medications: long-term use of certain medications increases the risk of stomach polyps. Among the types of these drugs, proton pump inhibitors can be mentioned, which are prescribed for the treatment of gastric reflux disease. Medications such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Protonix can increase the risk of fundic polyps.**

**Gastric polyp detection method** **Many people find out that they have stomach polyps after being tested for other diseases. Most polyps are detected during upper endoscopy.** **What is upper endoscopy?** **Upper endoscopy is used to diagnose and treat various diseases of the digestive system such as the esophagus, stomach and duodenum (the beginning of the small intestine). Endoscopy is used to check symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, stomach and intestinal bleeding or to diagnose some diseases.** **In this upper endoscopy test, the doctor examines the inside of the stomach through a thin and flexible tube that has a small camera at the end. In order to identify the type of polyp, a sample of it and its adjacent tissue is removed, which is called a biopsy.** **Before inserting the endoscope device into the patient's esophagus, the doctor gives him a sedative or sprays an anesthetic into his throat. For this reason, this operation is performed without pain and discomfort.** ** The upper endoscopy process takes 20 to 30 seconds, and if needed, the doctor takes a sample from the polyp. By examining the samples under a microscope, the type of polyp is diagnosed.** - **The patient should avoid eating liquids and food 6 hours before the endoscopy.**

**Diagnosis and treatment of gastric polyps** ** The type of polyp is determined by microscopic examination. Of course, the questions that the doctor asks about your health history during the examination also help to diagnose the type of polyp.** **In some cases, cancerous tumors look just like gastric polyps on upper endoscopy. For this reason, some people who are told that they have stomach polyps may have cancer.** **Depending on the type of stomach polyp, your doctor may recommend another endoscopy within a year to check for new polyps. For patients who have had cancerous polyps, follow-up endoscopy should be performed every six months for the first three years** **If the patient has a family history of stomach cancer, the doctor may advise the patient to do endoscopy regularly (every one to two years). For patients younger than 40 who have multiple polyps, additional tests may be recommended to examine the colon in addition to the stomach.** **But if it seems that proton pump inhibitors, the same pills used to treat gastric reflux and bacterial infection (such as omeprazole) cause polyps, the doctor may recommend stopping this medication.**

**Stomach polyp treatment method** **If stomach polyps are large or look different from other polyps, they may be removed completely while the endoscope is in the stomach. And if multiple polyps are found, the doctor may recommend surgery. Of course, polyps may be a sign of gastritis, which may require further diagnosis and treatment.** **But in general, the treatment of stomach polyps depends on various things:** - **type of polyp** - **polyp size** - ** Polyp form ** - **polyp location** - **number of polyps** - **symptoms of the patient** - **no need for treatment** **Small, asymptomatic polyps that are not adenomas may not require treatment. But the doctor may ask the patient to perform an endoscopy at certain times so that they can be removed from the stomach if they are enlarged.** - Drug treatment **A fundic gland polyp has a low chance of becoming cancer. First, the doctor biopsies the patient. A specialist can then check for early signs that the polyp is cancerous. If there are no signs of cancer, it may not be necessary to remove the polyp.** **If the polyp is caused by Helicobacter pylori disease, the patient may be treated with medication.** - **removal during endoscopy** **Most large polyps do not need to be drained and are removed using an endoscope.** - **Treatment by surgery** **But hyperplastic polyp, which has a higher risk of developing cancer, is treated in a different way. The doctor may biopsy this type of polyp and check for signs of cancer. Very large or dysplastic polyps may also need to be removed.** ** Adenomatous polyps have a high risk of becoming cancer. Because of this, your doctor will probably want to remove them. If the dysplasia or cancer has spread to nearby tissue, the doctor may remove part of that tissue. Depending on the extent of the dysplasia or cancerous polyps, this may be done through endoscopy or may require surgery to remove part of the stomach.** **What are the possible side effects of stomach polyps?** ** The main complication of stomach polyps is stomach cancer. If there are multiple polyps in the patient's stomach, problems may also arise. For example, familial adenomatous polyp is a genetic disease that causes polyps to grow throughout the patient's digestive tract, which increases the risk of developing colon cancer. Of course, polyp removal can also cause complications such as bleeding.** **How to prevent stomach polyps?** - **Treatment of bacterial infection and other stomach diseases** - **Having a healthy diet** - **Consumption of fruits and vegetables with high fiber and antioxidants** - **cereal consumption** - **Consumption of calcium-containing substances** - **Treatment of overweight and obesity** - **exercise** - **Avoid eating salty foods and all kinds of pickles** **last word** **Gastric polyp is a disease that usually occurs without symptoms. This disease is usually diagnosed as a result of referral for other diseases and by upper endoscopy, and depending on the type of polyp, different treatment methods are adopted.**

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