What is attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis?
Attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (AFAP) is a subtype of a condition known as familial adenomatous polyposis (called FAP or classic FAP). An adenomatous polyp is a lump filled with the cells that line the inside of a person’s colon and that make mucous. Normally these cells are in flat sheets, but in FAP and AFAP they build up into polyps inside the intestinal tract. People with FAP or AFAP will have an increased number of adenomatous colon polyps during their lifetime and an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. In AFAP, the total number of colon polyps is less than 100, with 30 being average. (In FAP, polyps are far more frequent.) Polyps in people with AFAP tend to develop later in life than in individuals with classic FAP, although polyps may develop as early as the late teens. Colorectal cancer develops later in AFAP as well, with the average age at diagnosis being around 50. Polyps and cancer of the stomach and small intestines are also seen in families with AFA
