Study: Hyperplastic Polyps Tied to High Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Hyperplastic polyps, the mostly small benign polyps often found in the rectum, may identify individuals with a high risk of colorectal cancer, according to Swedish researchers.

Noncancerous adenomas found in the colon and rectum have long been recognised as precursors of colorectal cancer, but the significance of hyperplastic polyps -- which rarely themselves become malignant -- has not been clear.

But in a 10-year study of almost 300 individuals predisposed to hereditary colorectal cancer, the researchers found a positive correlation between the number of hyperplastic polyps and the number of adenomas discovered during colonoscopies.

They reported finding a total of 292 hyperplastic polyps in 98 of the participants, with 90 of the participants having a total of 186 adenomas.

"The risk of detecting new hyperplastic polyps or adenomas increased significantly when there was a positive finding at first colonoscopy," the researchers reported in the journal Gut.

"Hyperplastic polyps as well as adenomas may identify individuals with a high risk of colorectal cancer," the researchers concluded. "This information is important when these individuals are selected and included in tailored surveillance programs."

Other sources: Gut