What Is a Hepatic Flexure Polyp?

By Staff WriterLast Updated December 08, 2023

A hepatic flexure polyp is a growth in the first bend of the colon, near the liver, according to YourSurgery.com. Polyps may have either a stalk or a flat base, and they may be benign or cancerous.

Polyps occur most frequently in adults though children sometimes do develop them. Juvenile polyps rarely become cancerous. In adults, polyps often start out benign but can become malignant over time, reports YourSurgery.com.

In the United States, colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer, notes YourSurgery.com. The most obvious symptom is rectal bleeding. After a colonoscopy and biopsy to diagnose the polyp, surgery is almost always required to prevent the development of cancer.