Asbestos linked to colon polyps.A new study indicates that people exposed to significant amounts of asbestos may face an increased risk of colon polyps, small, grape-shaped growths that can become malignant. Although epidemiologists have linked the mineral asbestos to the development of colon cancer colon cancer, cancer of any part of the colon (often called the large intestine). Colon cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. in the past, this is the first time scientists have shown an association between asbestos and colon polyps. The finding suggests that asbestos may act very early to trigger the wart-like polyps Polyps A tumor with a small flap that attaches itself to the wall of various vascular organs such as the nose, uterus and rectum. Polyps bleed easily, and if they are suspected to be cancerous they should be surgically removed. , says epidemiologist Alfred I. Neugut of Columbia University's School of Public Health. He and his colleagues identified patients who had undergone colonoscopy Colonoscopy Definition Colonoscopy is a medical procedure where a long, flexible, tubular instrument called the colonoscope is used to view the entire inner lining of the colon (large intestine) and the rectum. at two New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. medical centers between April 1986 and March 1988. After reviewing medical charts, the researchers discovered 51 men with colon cancer, 153 men with colon polyps and 195 who showed no sign of colon cancer or polyps. They asked the men a series of questions, including questions about their exposure to asbestos, the fibrous fibrous /fi·brous/ (fi´brus) composed of or containing fibers. fi·brous adj. Composed of or characterized by fibroblasts, fibrils, or connective tissue fibers. mineral widely used as an insulating and fireproofing fireproofing, method of making normally combustible materials as nearly noncombustible as possible. Fireproofing generally applies to textiles and construction materials that are treated with a solution or coating of some substance that will tend to retard their material. A statistical analysis revealed that men who reported heavy exposure to asbestos had a greater risk of colon cancer or polyps than did men who reported little or no asbestos exposure. The team describes its results in the Dec. 18 JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE. Neugut cautions that these findings remain very preliminary. The researchers identified only 12 men with significant asbestos exposure -- a group too small to yield definitive results, he says. A larger study would help strengthen the evidence linking asbestos to colon polyps, he notes. |
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