The National Polyp Study established that colorectal cancer could be prevented by the removal, during colonoscopy, of adenomatous polyps. A recently published study looked at the long-term effect of this removal on mortality from colorectal cancer.
Researchers' methods were to examine mortality from colorectal cancer among patients with adenomas removed, compared with the expected incidence-based mortality from colorectal cancer in the general population (as estimated from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results program), and with the observed mortality from colorectal cancer among patients with nonadenomatous polyps (internal control group).
Results showed that among 2,602 patients who had adenomatous polyps removed during participation in the study, after a median of 15.8 years, 1,246 patients had died from any cause and 12 had died from colorectal cancer.
Given an estimated 25.4 expected deaths from colorectal cancer in the general population, the standardized incidence-based mortality ratio was 0.47 with colonoscopic polypectomy, suggesting a 53% reduction in mortality.
In short, the removal of adenomatous polyps prevents death from colorectal cancer.
Source: NEJM
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