Some patients who undergo the removal of their colon when their polyps seem too large to remove may be undergoing surgery unnecessarily, a new study finds.

Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.  This type of cancer arises from colorectal polyps that arise from the lining of the colon. When these growths are large or difficult to remove, the surgical removal of the organ is recommended.

But a new study finds that incidence of cancer in such cases is actually lower than previously thought, and more advanced endoscopic techniques that spare the colon may be a better, safer alternative to colon surgery, or colectomy.
 
For the study, a research team at the Cleveland Clinic reviewed the cases of patients who underwent colectomy over a 15-year period. The colorectal polyps were considered too difficult to remove non-surgically with an endoscope, as opposed to a major operation.

In total, cancer was identified in the final pathology in just 37 patients, or eight percent of the patients, which means that 92 percent of the patients had their colon removed for non-cancerous reasons.

Dr. Emre Gorgun, a staff surgeon and the study’s lead author, called the findings, which appear the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, “eye-opening” and said it could pave the way for sparing patients with such polyps unnecessary surgery.