Colonoscopic Removal of Aberrant Crypt Foci: a Prospective, Randomized, Blinded Trial

We hypothesized that aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are precursors of colon cancer; their prevention would correlate with cancer risk and their elimination would reduce that risk. In this study we wished to (1) establish the feasibility of stain-enhanced magnification colonoscopy, (2) determine whether colorectal cancer is asociated with increased numbers of ACF, and (3) investigate the natural history of ACF and the durability of their elimination.