Colorectal Cancer Risk in Juvenile Polyposis

Gastroenterologists occasionally encounter patients with juvenile polyposis. Although the polyps in these patients are typically hamartomas, they can undergo adenomatous transformation, which elevates risk for colorectal cancer. Polyp burdens are quite variable, and, in some patients, endoscopic control is possible.

In this study, investigators described risk for colorectal cancer among patients with juvenile polyposis. Using a polyposis registry in Baltimore, Maryland, they identified 84 patients with juvenile polyposis from 44 pedigrees. During 1652 person-years of follow-up, eight patients developed colorectal cancer (at a mean age of 43.9), and five died from it. Based on an 80-year lifespan, absolute risk for colorectal cancer was 38.7 …