COLORECTAL ADENOMA IN PATIENTS WITH A HISTORY OF BREAST-CANCER - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY IN TAIWAN

The increased incidence of colorectal cancer in women with a history o f breast cancer is well established. However, the relationship between the prevalence of adenomatous polyps and breast cancer is still contr oversial, We conducted a prospective study of the incidence of colorec tal polyps in patients with a history of breast cancer in Taiwan. Eigh ty-nine patients (86 women and 3 men) received colonoscopy to test for precancerous lesions. Mean age was 49.4 +/- 10.4 years. Twelve polyps (9 adenomatous, 2 hyperplastic, 1 inflammatory) (13.5%) and one cance r (1.1%) were found, The mean age of patients with and without colorec tal neoplasia was 56.3 +/- 9.4 and 48.2 +/- 10.2 years respectively. ( p<0.005); 10 out of 13 patients (77%) with colorectal neoplasia were o ver 50 (p<0.1). Compared with a study of Chinese people in Hong Kong, our population had a lower incidence of colorectal adenomatous polyps, but breast cancer patients have a greater risk of developing colorect al cancer than the general population in Taiwan.