Gastro Education

Lucia Oliveira is a Director Anorectal Physiology Dept. of Rio de Janeiro and CEPEMED. She is a Colorectal Surgeon in Hospital Casa de Saude Sao Jose, Rio de Janeiro. She pursued her Ph.D. in Colorectal Surgery – University of Sao Paulo. She is a Research Fellow of Cleveland Clinic Florida and International Fellow of American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. She is also the Titular member of Brazilian College of Surgeons and Brazilian Colorectal Society

Background & Aim: Obesity is becoming a world public health the problem, which is related to an increased risk of cancer. The aim of our study is to evaluate the relationship between obesity and colon cancer through the detection of adenomatous polyps during colonoscopy.

Methodology: All patients that underwent total colonoscopy for a variety of reasons were prospectively evaluated in a one year period. Parameters evaluated were BMI, age, number and type of polyps detected. BMI>24.9 and >29.9 were considered overweight and obese respectively. Patients with and without detected polyps were compared in terms of BMI. Statistical analysis was performed with the Instant program, using Fisher´s exact test.

Results: 120 patients of a mean age of 60 (range 20-87) years entered our study, being 58 female and 42 male. Mean BMI was 25.7. 46.6% of the patients were overweight or obese (overweight n=36/obese n=20) 84 of the 120 patients had polyps (70%): in obese patients, 19/20 (95%) had polyps (16 adenomatous) and in overweight group 27/36 (75%) had polyps (21 adenomatous). The comparison between the obese and overweight group with the group with normal BMI was statistically significant (p<0.0001 and p 0.0002, respectively).

Conclusions: Patients with overweight or obesity have an increased risk of colon cancer if we consider the number of adenomatous polyps detected. A colonoscopy is an important tool for the prevention of colon cancer in this population.