Endoscopic polypectomy and management of colorectal adenomas with invasive carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Invasive carcinoma is found at histology in 2-5% of colorectal polyps removed under flexible endoscopy. The aim of this study was to confirm that histologically complete endoscopic polypectomy under favorable low-risk conditions is sufficient therapy for pT1 carcinoma, while tumors at or close to the margin of the polypectomy, and histological high-risk criteria, require surgical resection with lymphadenectomy.


METHODS
Eighty-six patients with 87 pT1 carcinomas underwent polypectomy within a twelve-and-a-half-year period. Further treatment prospectively followed the above guidelines. The follow-up was documented.


RESULTS
A local tumor residue was found in 5 of 34 patients who had undergone surgical resection for doubtful or incomplete polypectomy. Two patients were found to have nodal disease in the surgical specimen, only one of them harboring a high-risk carcinoma. Two further patients with high-risk carcinomas had tumor progression, despite postpolypectomy resections without local tumor residue or lymph-node infiltration, and died. One patient had a local tumor recurrence on follow-up endoscopy eight weeks after doubtfully complete polypectomy. He underwent resection, and had no further recurrence. No further manifestations of invasive carcinoma occurred after complete polypectomy of 42 patients with low-risk carcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the view that complete endoscopic polypectomy is an adequate therapy for low-risk carcinoma: A modification of the follow-up regimen, with less frequent endoscopic controls, is justified.
Hackelsberger
A
A
Department of Medicine I, Klinikum Ludwigsburg, Germany.
Frühmorgen
P
P
Weiler
H
H
Heller
T
T
Seeliger
H
H
Junghanns
K
K
D000236:Adenoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003113:Colonoscopy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome