Cervical polyps can become cancerous, but the rate of malignancy is very low, around 1%. Cervical polyps are caused by chronic inflammation of the cervix, which leads to the hyperplasia of local connective tissue, forming pink, tongue-shaped growths that sometimes have a stalk and can bleed upon contact. This condition is caused by inflammation, but if there is also an HPV virus infection, there is a potential for cancerous changes. Therefore, the causes of cervical cancer and cervical polyps are different. Cervical cancer is caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV), while cervical polyps are caused by inflammation. If cervical polyps are combined with an HPV infection, cancerous changes might only occur if the infection persists for more than two years.