[The role of endoscopic polypectomy in the prevention of cancer of the colon]. / Il ruolo della polipectomia endoscopica nella prevenzione del cancro del colon.

After briefly analyzing the concept and genesis of dysplasia starting with the normal large bowel cell and then illustrating the polyp-carcinoma sequence, the authors report on their experience with 283 endoscopic polypectomies in a total of 1.875 patients undergoing endoscopy of the rectum, sigmoid and large bowel since 1980. Forty-nine polyps presented severe dysplasia, and 38 had already degenerated to carcinoma; nine of the carcinomas had invaded the stalk and the patients were subjected to resection of the colon and mesocolon, lymph-node metastases being observed in 1 case.