Distal polyps and neoplasia

NEW YORK, July 20 (Praxis Press) The association between distal colorectal polyps and advanced proximal neoplasia is uncertain. Imperiale and colleagues determined the risk of advanced proximal neoplasia among persons with distal hyperplastic or neoplastic polyps and compared the findings to those of persons with no distal polyps. To perform the study the researchers analyzed data from 1 994 asymptomatic adults who underwent colonoscopy for the first time. Of the subjects, 3.1% had advanced lesions in the distal colon and 2.5% had advanced proximal lesions. They found that of the patients with advanced proximal lesions, 46% had no distal polyps. They also found that the prevalence of advanced proximal neoplasia among patients with no distal polyps was 1.5%. Asymptomatic persons 50 years of age or older who have polyps in the distal colon are more likely to have advanced proximal neoplasia than are persons without distal polyps. If...