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Colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2012

A new focus for CRC prevention—more serration, less inflammation

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 10, pages 69–70 (2013)Cite this article

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Knowledge of colorectal cancer (CRC) risks has been rebalanced in 2012. The 'serrated pathway' to CRC, exemplified by serrated polyposis syndrome, emphasizes the importance of serrated lesions. The dogma that patients with IBD are at high risk of CRC, however, might be overstated; optimizing CRC prevention needs to focus on patients at increased risk.

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Figure 1: Endoscopic, pathological and molecular changes for the 'serrated pathway' to CRC from normal mucosa to SSP and carcinoma.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Yark Hazewinkel and Dr Marnix Jansen for assistance with images for the figure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Translational Gastroenterology Unit, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford, OX3 9DU, Headington, UK

    James E. East

  2. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, The Netherlands

    Evelien Dekker

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  1. James E. East
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Correspondence to James E. East.

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Competing interests

Dr East is on the Advisory Board for Cosmo Pharmaceuticals and receives speaker fees from Abbott Laboratories. Dr Dekker has received research support and been loaned equipment by Olympus.

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East, J., Dekker, E. A new focus for CRC prevention—more serration, less inflammation. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 10, 69–70 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2012.245

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