Polyps are commonly found in the colon, stomach, nose, ear, sinus(es), urinary bladder, and uterus.

Relative incidences by location: [7][8] While colon polyps are not commonly associated with symptoms, occasionally they may cause rectal bleeding, and on rare occasions pain, diarrhea or constipation.

Common screening methods are occult blood test, colonoscopy with a modern flexible endoscope, sigmoidoscopy (usually with the older rigid endoscope), lower gastrointestinal series (barium enema), digital rectal examination (DRE), virtual colonoscopy or Cologuard.

[11] The polyps are routinely removed at the time of colonoscopy, either with a wire loop known as a polypectomy snare (first description by P. Deyhle, Germany, 1970),[12] or with biopsy forceps.

Sessile polyps have a shorter pathway for migration of invasive cells from the tumor into submucosal and more distant structures, and they are also more difficult to remove and ascertain.

Sessile polyps larger than 2 cm usually contain villous features, have a higher malignant potential, and tend to recur following colonoscopic polypectomy.

Medical societies have established guidelines for colorectal screening in order to prevent adenomatous polyps and to minimize the chances of developing colon cancer.

[citation needed] Colon polyps as they grow can sometimes cause bleeding within the intestine, which can be detected by an occult blood test.

People in their 50s are recommended to have flexible sigmoidoscopies performed once every 3 to 5 years to detect any abnormal growth which could be an adenomatous polyp.

Medical societies recommend colonoscopies every ten years starting at age 50 as a necessary screening practice for colon cancer.

Once an adenomatous polyp is identified during colonoscopy, there are several methods of removal, including using a snare or a heating device.

[citation needed] It has been statistically demonstrated that screening programs are effective in reducing the number of deaths caused by colon cancer due to adenomatous polyps.

They can occur on one or both vocal folds, and appear as swelling, a bump (similar to a nodule), a stalk-like growth, or a blister-like lesion.

Polyps and nodules can exhibit similar symptoms including hoarseness or breathiness, "rough" or "scratchy" voice, harshness in vocal quality, shooting pain from ear to ear, sensation of having "a lump in the back of the throat", neck pain, decreased pitch range in the voice, and vocal and bodily fatigue.

In some cases, an instrumental examination may be performed with an endoscope into the mouth or nose; this gives a clear look at the vocal folds and larynx in general.

Existing medical problems may be treated in an effort to reduce the strain and negative impact on the vocal cords.