Early detection and prevention of colon cancer. The role of colonscopy.

The incidence of and mortality associated with colon cancer has not decreased during the past 25 years despite several innovations in therapy. Earlier detection and prevention by polypectomy though the sigmoidoscope and colonoscope have been suggested as one alternative offering improvement. The polyp-cancer sequence is controversial, but recent evidence indicates that polyps with a papillary component have a substantial potential for becoming malignant. Forty-four polyps were resected from 26 patients. Nineteen polyps from 14 patients had papillary features of "in-situ" carcinoma. Thus, colonoscopic polypectomy may play an important role not only in early detection but also in the prevention of colon cancer.