Question

Which is a premalignant lesion for carcinoma of the rectum?

• A. Familial polyposis
• B. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
• C. Juvenile polyp
• D. Adenomatous polyp

Hint:

The inherited syndrome that carpets the bowel with polyps and almost always becomes cancer.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Carcinoma of the rectum arises through the adenoma-carcinoma sequence, so conditions that produce adenomatous mucosa carry the highest malignant potential.

Step 2: Recognised precancerous lesions for rectal cancer include villous papilloma (villous adenoma), adenomas in general, and familial polyposis. Familial polyposis carpets the colon and rectum with hundreds of adenomatous polyps and progresses to cancer in essentially all untreated patients, so it is the answer marked here.

Step 3: Note that option B, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), is the same condition as familial polyposis. The intended single best choice is therefore familial polyposis as listed in option A.

Step 4: Juvenile polyps are hamartomatous and carry little malignant risk on their own, which makes option C the weakest choice. A solitary adenomatous polyp is premalignant but is a single lesion with far lower risk than the diffuse familial polyposis syndrome.