Extracolonic cancer risk in patients with serrated polyposis syndrome and their first-degree relatives

<p>Serrated polyposis syndrome is associated with an increased colorectal cancer risk. Although the underlying genetic cause of the condition is unknown, first-degree relatives of patients with serrated polyposis have an increased risk for colorectal cancer compared with the general population. This suggests an inheritable component. Since other hereditary polyposis syndromes are often associated with an expanded extracolonic tumour spectrum, our aim was to determine the extra colonic cancer risks for patients with serrated polyposis and their first-degree relatives and compare these risks with the general population. Serrated polyposis index patients from 5 medical centres were included. Demographic data concerning age, sex and reported malignancies were ascertained by reviewing medical charts and histopathology reports. Family history was obtained by examining pedigree records from the department of Clinical Genetics. Incidence rates of extracolonic malignancies were compared with the general population through a person-year analysis, adjusted for age and sex. Population-based incidence data were derived from the Eindhoven Cancer Registry. A total of 105 patients with serrated polyposis and 341 first-degree relatives were included. Among the patients with serrated polyposis, 9 extracolonic cancers were observed, compared to 13 expected malignancies in the general population (RR 0.69 95 % CI 0.36-1.33; p = 0.27). Among the first-degree relatives, 44 extracolonic malignancies were observed, compared to 48 expected malignancies (RR 0.92 95 % CI 0.69-1.24; p = 0.60). In this study, the overall incidence of extracolonic malignancies in patients with serrated polyposis and their first-degree relatives was not increased. Large international studies are required to confirm these results.</p>

Serrated polyps of the large intestine: current understanding of diagnosis, pathogenesis, and clinical management

Approximately 30 % of colorectal carcinomas develop via the serrated neoplasia pathway characterized by widespread DNA methylation and frequent BRAF mutation. Serrated polyps represent a heterogeneous group of polyps which are the precursor lesions to serrated pathway colorectal carcinomas. The histological classification of serrated polyps has evolved over the last two decades to distinguish three separate entities: hyperplastic polyp, sessile serrated adenoma (SSA), and traditional serrated adenoma (TSA). The malignant potential of SSAs and TSAs has been clearly demonstrated. SSAs are more challenging to detect by colonoscopy and are likely to account for some interval carcinomas of the proximal colon. Serrated polyposis syndrome is now widely recognized as conferring a high risk of colorectal carcinoma although its cause remains elusive. The current understanding of the actual malignant potential of each serrated polyp subtype is still limited due to the lack of large-scale prospective studies. Patient management guidelines have been recently updated although high-level evidence to support them is still required