More On Polyposis Disorders
- Learn more about the different types of Hereditary Colorectal Cancer and Polyposis Disorders.
- Learn more »
Polyposis FAQs
- We've compiled a list of our most frequently asked questions to help you better understand your child's illness.
- Read more »
Polyposis
The Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Division at Nationwide Children's Hospital provides unique expertise for children and their families in diagnosis and treatment of hereditary polyposis disorders.
As a board-certified pediatric gastroenterologist, Steven H. Erdman, MD, has built a national reputation caring for children and adolescents with hereditary polyp disorders and colorectal cancer syndromes. Dr. Erdman is a member of the International Society for Gastrointestinal Hereditary Tumors (InSiGHT) and the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer (CGA-ICC) and was recently elected to the Governing Council of the CGA.
The diagnosis and management of these children and their families is a multidisciplinary process that includes primary care physicians, geneticists, genetic counselors, adult and pediatric gastroenterologists, social workers, and surgeons. Dr. Erdman works closely with his colleagues in the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program and the Molecular Pathology Laboratory at the James Cancer Hospital of the Ohio State University Medical Center. His diagnostic expertise and team approach to treatment ensures that each child receives the best possible care.
The development of early and recurrent colorectal cancer is a reality for many of these families who carry a genetic mutation that can be passed from one generation to the next. Early identification of the child at risk allows for better surveillance and counseling with the goal of controlling cancer risk and improving quality of life. For those with polyposis disorders, regular endoscopic surveillance of the digestive tract is an important way of controlling cancer risk. During endoscopy, polyps can be removed without surgery to control symptoms such as bleeding or pain, as well as to prevent more serious problems such as bowel obstruction and colon cancer.
The Division provides state of the art diagnostic and therapeutic services including:
-
Double Balloon Enteroscopy (DBE): Nationwide Children's Hospital performed its first DBE procedure in mid 2006 removing 12 polyps from the small intestine of a patient with Peutz Jeghers Syndrome. This innovative technique allows access to the small intestine to both identify and remove small intestinal polyps without surgery thereby reducing the risk of post-surgical adhesions that can lead to bowel obstruction. Learn more about DBE in our Surgical Scene article: Gastroenterology: New Endoscopic Technique for Polyp Removal »
-
Capsule Endoscopy (“PillCam®”): This minimally invasive technique allows for a non-sedated outpatient examination of the small intestine. In smaller children, the pill cam is placed into the upper small intestine using an endoscope to assure that the capsule leaves the stomach prior to exhaustion of the pill cam batteries.
-
Conventional Upper Endoscopy and Colonoscopy with biopsy and polypectomy.
-
Collaboration with the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program, The James Cancer Hospital, The Ohio State University Medical Center.
With a focus on identifying and controlling the disease process, we are helping each of these children with a polyposis disorder and their families by developing a comprehensive, multidisciplinary management plan that seeks to reduce the fear, uncertainty, and needless suffering that can accompany these syndromes.
