Smoking and Drinking May Foster Polyps.

• Position: Brief Article

People who smoke cigarettes or drink beer or spirits have an increased risk of developing polyps in the colon that could become cancerous, according to a British study. Polyps are abnormal growths rising from the lining of the colon. They occur in about 10-15% of the adult population. Most are benign, but some become malignant. Those who drink wine, port, sherry, vermouth, or any alcoholic beverage except beer and spirits do not seem to have a comparable risk, for reasons that are not fully understood. "The advice I would give would be not to smoke, and drink beer and spirits only in moderation," says Chris Macklin, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Leeds, United Kingdom.

The study utilized flexible sigmoidoscopy--a visual examination of the colon using a long, flexible, fiber optic telescope. Of 3,356 screening volunteers, 384 (11.4%) had adenomatous (pre-cancerous) polyps. People who smoke cigarettes or had smoked in the past were twice as likely to have a polyp. "Also, the chances of finding a polyp...