Polyps of the Rectum and Colon and Their Relation to Cancer

POLYPS of the rectum and colon have been observed with increasing frequency in the past few years, particularly because of the emphasis placed upon sigmoidoscopy as a method of early detection of cancer. The surprisingly high incidence of microscopic carcinoma in such polyps has raised many questions in the minds of surgeons who must deal with these problems. In an attempt to clarify the relation of polyps to cancer, we have accordingly, in the past few years, co-ordinated our clinical studies with the departments of pathology of the Massachusetts General Hospital. The conclusions presented here must be regarded as a . . .