Prophylactic surgery and preventive chemotherapy

As prevention, in addition to early detection, preventative surgery of the colon and/or rectum can also be suggested.

Na PAF, síndrome em que centenas de pólipos se instalam no cólon, a colectomia total pode ser mesmo a única forma de evitar a doença.

In patients with FAP, a syndrome that causes the appearance of hundreds or thousands of polyps, total colectomy – surgery that removes the entire colon- might be the only way to avoid disease.

While these options reduce the risk of cancer substantially and are easy to recover from, they carry less positive implications for the person’s future.

As with any other treatment, the final decision on what to do belongs to the patient. Thus being so crucial that you discuss it thoroughly with your doctor, to assure that yours is an informed decision.

Nevertheless, some problems, caused by surgery, can be prevented 

For example, if a carrier of a FAP mutation needs a proctocolectomy (full removal of the colon and rectum) instead of just a colectomy (removal of the colon), a two-step surgery might be considered:

• Proctocolectomy can reduce fertility in women, so depending on the patient’s wish to have children and her intestinal pattern of polyps, it might be possible to remove the colon but wait until after the patient gives birth to operate on the rectum.