No Increased Risk of Colorectal Adenomas in Spouses of Patients with Colorectal Neoplasia

Although genetic factors such as family history have been associated with increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), multiple lifestyle and environmental risk factors for CRC have been identified, including smoking, diet, obesity, and physical activity.(1,2) Although couples typically have different genetic backgrounds, spouses are likely to share lifestyle and environmental exposures over the course of years, including similar home environments, geographical locations of residence, dietary exposures, and smoking exposures.(3) As such, one might expect that an increased CRC incidence would be seen among spouses of patients with CRC; however, studies on this topic have inconsistent results.(3-6) By using a large cohort of spouses who have undergone colonoscopy, we aimed to determine whether the risk of colorectal adenomas is increased among spouses of those with colorectal neoplasia (CRN) on colonoscopy.