Prevention of Colorectal Cancer by Endoscopic Polypectomy
Authors: Jacques Van Dam
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1995)

Editorials15 December 1995Prevention of Colorectal Cancer by Endoscopic PolypectomyJacques Van Dam, MD, PhDJacques Van Dam, MD, PhDFrom Harvard Medical School Boston, MA 02115.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-123-12-199512150-00009 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Colon cancer, the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States, will be diagnosed in 150 000 Americans this year and will claim approximately 56 000 lives [1]. Progress in treating this disease has been limited, and major advances in surgical and medical treatment are not anticipated in the immediate future. Thus, screening for the "early" curable stages of the disease in asymptomatic persons has become an important and relevant endeavor. As with all screening programs, most individuals who are screened will never get the disease. However, several case–control studies have suggested that screening with sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, ...References1. Wingo PA, Tong T, Bolden S. Cancer statistics 1995. CA Cancer J Clin. 1995;45:8-30. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Muller AD, Sonnenberg A. Protection by endoscopy against death from colorectal cancer. Arch Intern Med. 1995;155:1741-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Selby JV, Friedman GD, Quesenberry PC, Weiss NS. A case–control study of screening sigmoidoscopy and mortality from colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med. 1992;326:653-7. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Newcomb PA, Norfleet RG, Storer BE, Surawicz TS, Marcus PM. Screening sigmoidoscopy and colorectal cancer mortality. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1992;84:1572-5. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Rex DK. Colonoscopy: a review of its yield for cancers and adenomas by indication. Am J Gastroenterol. 1995;90:353-65. MedlineGoogle Scholar6. Muto T, Bussey HJ, Morson BC. The evolution of cancer of the colon and rectum. Cancer. 1975;36:2251-70. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Winawer SJ, Zauber AG, Ho MN, O'Brien MJ, Gottlieb LS, Sternberg SS, et al . Prevention of colorectal cancer by colonoscopic polypectomy. N Engl J Med. 1993;329:1977-81. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Muller AD, Sonnenberg A. Prevention of colorectal cancer by flexible endoscopy and polypectomy. A case–control study of 32 702 veterans. Ann Intern Med. 1995;123:904-10. LinkGoogle Scholar9. Tada S, Iida M, Matsumoto T, Yao T, Aoyagi K, Koga H, et al . Small flat cancer of the rectum: clinicopathologic and endoscopic features. Gastrointest Endosc. 1995;42:109-13. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Jaramillo E, Watanabe M, Slezak P, Rubio C. Flat neoplastic lesions of the colon and rectum detected by high-resolution video endoscopy and chromoscopy. Gastrointest Endosc. 1995;42:114-22. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Yokota T, Sugihara K, Yokoyama T, Kondo H, Oka M, Shirao K, et al . Small depressed cancer of the large bowel: report of three cases. Am J Gastroenterol. 1995;90:134-6. MedlineGoogle Scholar12. Van Dam J, Bond J, Sivak MV Jr. Fecal occult blood screening for colorectal cancer. Arch Intern Med. 1995; 155:(In press). Google Scholar13. Fishel R, Lescoe MK, Rao MR, Copeland NG, Jenkins NA, Garber J, et al . The human mutator gene homolog MSH2 and its association with hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer. Cell. 1993;75:1027-38. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. Bronner CE, Baker SM, Morrison PT, Warren G, Smith LG, Lescoe MK, et al . Mutation in the DNA mismatch repair gene homologue hMLH1 is associated with hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer. Nature. 1994;368:258-61. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar15. Jarvinen HJ, Mecklin JP, Sistonen P. Screening reduces colorectal cancer rate in families with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. Gastroenterology. 1995;108:1405-11. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar16. Sidransky D, Tokino T, Hamilton SR, Kinzler KW, Levin B, Frost P, et al . Identification of ras oncogene mutations in the stool of patients with curable colorectal tumor. Science. 1992;256:102-5. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Harvard Medical School Boston, MA 02115.Corresponding Author: Jacques Van Dam, MD, PhD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 01225. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoPrevention of Colorectal Cancer by Flexible Endoscopy and Polypectomy: A Case-Control Study of 32 702 Veterans Astrid D. Muller and Amnon Sonnenberg Metrics Cited byA novel retrograde-viewing auxiliary imaging device (Third Eye Retroscope) improves the detection of simulated polyps in anatomic models of the colonVideocolonoscopia convencional e cromoscopia com índigo carmim no diagnóstico de pólipos colônicosFlexible sigmoidoscopy screening for colorectal cancer in average‐risk people: update of a community‐based projectMissed cancers at colonscopy: learning the hard wayColorectal cancer: Etiologic and clinical aspects 15 December 1995Volume 123, Issue 12Page: 949-950KeywordsCancer preventionCancer screeningColonoscopyColorectal cancerEndoscopyFlexible sigmoidoscopyForecastingHereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancerMortalityPolypectomies Issue Published: 15 December 1995 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1995 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...