Coexistent adenoma and serrated polyps on index colonoscopy and the risk of metachronous advanced colorectal neoplasia

Background and aims The family of serrated polyps (SP) includes hyperplastic polyps (HP), sessile serrated adenomas/polyps, and traditional serrated adenoma. We investigated whether SP synchronous with adenoma at index colonoscopy is associated with metachronous advanced colorectal neoplasia (CRN). Methods Patients with ≥ 1 adenoma on index colonoscopy and who had undergone a follow-up colonoscopy were included. The patients were divided into four groups according to the presence of SP and advanced adenoma (AA) on index colonoscopy (non-AA, non-AA + SP, AA, AA + SP). The cumulative incidence of metachronous advanced CRN at surveillance colonoscopy was compared between groups. Results Among a total of 2209 patients, the numbers of patients in the non-AA, non-AA + SP, AA, and AA + SP groups were 922, 441, 625, and 221, respectively. The cumulative incidence of metachronous advanced CRN was higher in patients in the AA + SP group than that in the AA group ( P <0.001), and there was no significant difference between the non-AA + SP group and the non-AA group ( P = 0.06). The cumulative incidence of metachronous advanced CRN at 3 years was 17.9 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 8.0–27.6], 10.7 % [95 %CI 7.7–3.6], 3.5 % [95 %CI 1.3–5.6], and 3.4 % [95 %CI 2.0–4.7] in the AA + SP, AA, non-AA + SP, and non-AA group, respectively. In a multivariate analysis, overall SP [hazard ratio (HR) 2.24; 95 %CI 1.38–3.64, P = 0.001], proximal SP (HR 2.31; 95 %CI 1.32–4.08), and HP (HR 2.19; 95 %CI 1.35–3.57) were risk factors for metachronous advanced CRN in patients with AA on index colonoscopy. Conclusions Coexistent AA and SP on index colonoscopy significantly increased the risk of metachronous advanced CRN compared with AA alone. Further large prospective studies are needed to confirm whether more intensive follow-up improves outcomes in these high risk patients.