Bladder Polyps

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Bladder Polyps

Question:

What percent of bladder polyps are benign? Do they take time to become cancerous like colon polyps?

Answer:

The microscopic examination of the lining of the bladder polyp will help determine the risk for the polyp to become cancerous. The vast majority of polyps are often a result of bladder trauma or bladder-outlet obstruction.

If the lining of the bladder polyp is normal, there is a very low likelihood of it becoming cancerous. No further follow up is needed unless you develop symptoms such as hematuria (red blood cells in the urine) or difficulty emptying your bladder.

If the lining of the bladder polyp is not normal, further tests may be needed. About 15% of these may develop into cancer.

Tests might include:

• diagnostic cystoscopy (a procedure that allows doctors to look inside the bladder and the urethra)

• bladder biopsy (removing a small amount of tissue for examination in a laboratory)

• urine cytology (a look at cells in the urine)

Richard Lee, M.D., is a clinical fellow of pediatric urology and a research associate at Children's Hospital Boston. He is a member of the Department of Urology at Children's Hospital Boston.

Last updated:	July 20, 2009