If a patient has hyperplastic polyps less than 10 mm found during a colonoscopy, when should their next colonoscopy be scheduled?

The correct answer is that the next colonoscopy should be scheduled 10 years later for a patient with hyperplastic polyps that are less than 10 mm in size. This scheduling follows established guidelines indicating that hyperplastic polyps, particularly when they are small, have a low risk of progressing to colorectal cancer. As such, they do not require frequent surveillance like other types of polyps may.

Patients with small hyperplastic polyps are typically placed in a lower risk category for colorectal cancer, which allows for extended intervals between screenings. The rationale behind waiting 10 years is grounded in the understanding that these polyps are generally considered benign and do not significantly increase a patient’s risk for colorectal cancer when they are small and well-characterized.

In contrast, shorter intervals like 2 or 5 years would be unnecessary and potentially burdensome due to the low risk associated with these types of polyps, while an interval of 20 years would exceed recommended guidelines, as routine screening still remains important to ensure that any new or different polyp formations are monitored adequately for any potential risk. Thus, scheduling the next colonoscopy for 10 years later strikes the appropriate balance between effective surveillance and patient burden.