The short answer
A serrated polyp is a growth that usually forms on the inner lining of the colon or rectum and has a saw-tooth look under a microscope. NCI names three types: hyperplastic polyps, sessile serrated polyps, and traditional serrated adenomas. NCI says hyperplastic polyps rarely become cancer, while the other two are more likely to if not removed. This page explains the terms and what to ask your care team.
NCI says serrated polyps have a saw-tooth appearance under a microscope.
NCI lists three types: hyperplastic polyps (HPs), sessile serrated polyps (SSPs), and traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs).
NCI says hyperplastic polyps are usually small and rarely become cancer.
NCI says SSPs and TSAs are more likely to become cancer if they are not removed.
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This page is for anyone whose colonoscopy pathology report mentions a "serrated polyp." It explains the terms and what to ask your care team.
What a serrated polyp is
NCI defines a serrated polyp as "a type of polyp (abnormal growth) that usually forms on the inner lining of the colon or rectum but can also form in the appendix." Under a microscope it has "a saw-tooth appearance."
The three types
NCI lists three types:
- Hyperplastic polyps (HPs): NCI says these "are usually small and rarely become cancer." They are the most common type.
- Sessile serrated polyps (SSPs): "sessile" means flat. NCI says these are also known as sessile serrated adenomas, or SSAs.
- Traditional serrated adenomas (TSAs).
NCI says: "SSPs and TSAs are larger than HPs and are more likely to become cancer if they are not removed."
What this means for you
Your care team uses the type and the rest of the report to plan follow-up, including when your next colonoscopy should be.
Ask these before you leave
- What type of serrated polyp was found?
- Was it completely removed?
- When should my next colonoscopy be?
Related pages
See Polyp vs. Tumor and What Does 'Villous Adenoma' Mean?.
Sources
Common questions
What is a serrated polyp?
NCI describes it as a polyp that usually forms on the inner lining of the colon or rectum and has a saw-tooth look under a microscope.
Is a sessile serrated adenoma the same as a sessile serrated polyp?
Yes. NCI says sessile serrated polyps are also known as sessile serrated adenomas, or SSAs.
Was my polyp cancer?
A serrated polyp is not the same as cancer. Your report will say if cancer was found. Ask your care team what your result means and when your next colonoscopy should be.
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Sources last checked: 2026-10-02 what this meansLast updated: 2026-10-02Next planned review: 2027-09-27
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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