[Colonoscopy in the diagnosis and follow-up of colonic polyps]

Out of 5000 patients examined endoscopically colon polyps were detected in 64%. The polyps were characterized by: higher incidence in 70-79-year-olds, high percentage of tubular adenomas (79%), large sizes of polyps with complex structure and their prevalence in the left colon, signs of malignancy in 0.64% of the removed polyps. The chance to develop cancer from tubular adenoma was 0.28%, tubular-villous, 1.4%, villous 3%. Recurrent polyps following polypectomy arose in 65% of cases. Tumor relapses emerging mainly within the first postoperative year occurred in 14% of cases. In 4 patients with cancer its onset was registered at the site of the removed large adenomas of complex histological structure. Colonoscopy proved an adequate method of diagnosis and follow-up of colon polyps. Endoscopic polypectomy can be considered as a measure to prevent colon cancer.