Study examines repeat colonoscopy in patients with polyps referred for surgery without biopsy-proven cancer

A new study reports that in the absence of biopsy-proven invasive cancer, a second colonoscopy done at an expert center may be appropriate to reevaluate patients referred for surgical resection. In the study, 71 percent of the lesions referred for surgery were noncancerous polyps (growths in the colon) and were treatable endoscopically. In 26 percent of cases, previous removal was attempted by the referring physician but was unsuccessful.