Growth Thought to Be Benign : New Polyp to Be Removed From Reagan’s Colon

President Reagan will have a second, apparently benign growth removed from his colon Friday and will undergo a thorough examination of his large intestine during an overnight stay at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, the White House announced Wednesday.

Presidential spokesman Larry Speakes said that the tiny “pseudo-polyp” was found to be non-cancerous after it was discovered during an examination March 8 and that chances of malignancy are “extremely remote.”

Medical experts generally agreed with that assessment. They noted that a complete examination of the colon and removal of any polyps is recommended as a way of preventing colon cancer, the second most common form of cancer deaths among humans. Lung cancer is first.

Can Become Malignant

“There is a tendency--one in 100--that if left in place long enough (polyps) can become malignant and can degenerate into colon cancer,” said Dr. Thomas R. Hendrix, chief of gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.

Polyps Relatively Common

Polyps, pimple-like growths in the lining of the colon, are relatively common among persons over 50, and they become more numerous with age. The discovery of one polyp often indicates the presence of others.

Reagan will undergo a colonscopy, a visual inspection of the entire five-foot-long colon, to determine whether additional growths exist. If any do, they probably will be removed, Speakes said.

The President’s first benign polyp was discovered and removed May 18, 1984, during a routine physical examination at Bethesda.

Good Health

From all outward signs, Reagan, 74, the oldest U.S. President in history, continues to enjoy good health. Dr. Walter Karney, who led a medical team that examined him last March at Bethesda, said then in a statement released by the White House that “his overall physical and mental condition is excellent.”

But during that March examination, laboratory tests found evidence of blood in the President’s stool samples. This could have indicated the presence of another polyp or intestinal bleeding, or it might have represented what doctors call a “false positive” resulting from the eating of red meat and certain vegetables.

Reagan consequently was put on a special diet recommended by the American Cancer Society, and Speakes said Wednesday that subsequent tests proved to be negative.

Fit Into Schedule

The spokesman said the scheduling of Friday’s polyp removal did not stem from any new evidence of blood in the stool or urine, or from any discomfort. “They looked at it (in March), they biopsied it, it was non-malignant and they decided at the time it was good medicine to remove the polyp,” Speakes said. “The President decided it would best fit into his schedule this Friday.”

The President will be given a painkiller and sedative during the polyp removal and the examination of the intestinal tract. But Speakes said it would not be necessary to temporarily transfer power to Vice President George Bush.

The growth, situated 45 millimeters into the colon, will be removed with a flexible tube equipped with a snipping device. The physician will be Dr. Edward L. Cattau, a Navy commander who is chief of gastroenterology at Bethesda.