Dysplasia and Malignancy in Colonic Polyps: Preparing for a Resect and Discard Strategy in Canada

Colonoscopies are commonly performed to evaluate and remove polyps. Currently, at most centers in Canada, all resected polyps are submitted for histologic examination. A resect and discard strategy has not been widely adopted in the Canadian population. The objective of this study was to characterize polyps and their rates of dysplasia.

Colonoscopies and pathology reports were analyzed at a tertiary care hospital. We recorded polyp size, histology, and the presence of high-grade dysplasia (HGD)/cancer. Out of a total of 2218 colonoscopies, 2945 polyps were removed. In descending order, tubular adenomas, hyperplastic, sessile serrated, tubulovillous, and inflammatory polyps represented 67.4%, 16.2%, 9.9%, 5.6%, and 0.8% of all polyps, respectively. Regarding size, 1703 polyps were between 1 and 5 mm, with only 2 (0.12%) showing HGD. Similarly, in the 6-9 mm group, there were 699 polyps, with only 3 (0.43%) showing HGD. Neither of these groups had evidence of cancer. In contrast, the > 10 mm group had 543 polyps, of which 87 (16.02%) showed HGD, and 15 (2.76%) exhibited cancer. In our patient population, only 0.04% of patients would have a change in their screening interval due to HGD in polyps that were < 5 mm in size.

Based on these findings, a resect and discard strategy should be further evaluated for diminutive polyps in this population. While current recommendations for post-polypectomy screening include pathological assessment, further research on screening intervals based on size, location, and optical diagnosis may reduce resource utilization without compromising outcomes.