Surveillance and management of upper gastrointestinal disease in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Almost all patients affected by Familial Adenomatous polyposis (FAP) will develop foregut as well as hindgut polyps, and following prophylactic colectomy duodenal cancer constitutes one of the leading causes of death in screened populations. Without prophylactic colectomy, FAP patients predictably develop colorectal cancer, but the lifetime risk of upper gastrointestinal cancer is lower, estimated at approximately 5%. Management of the upper gastrointestinal cancer risk is one of the greatest challenges facing clinicians involved in the care of Polyposis families, and with improved survival following prophylactic colectomy, the burden of foregut disease (particularly duodenal adenomatosis) will increase. Until recently, the value of upper gastrointestinal surveillance in FAP populations has been contentious, but with improved understanding of the natural history coupled with developments in surgery, interventional endoscopy and medical therapy, treatment algorithms for duodenal adenomatosis in FAP are becoming clearer.