What is FAP: the facts

• Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an inherited disorder sometimes found in people with colorectal cancer.
• Approximately two percent of all colon cancer could be caused by a hereditary adenomatous polyposis condition.
• People with the classic type of FAP may develop noncancerous (benign) colon polyps as early as their teenage years.
• Screening usually begins at eight to ten years old.
• The type of polyp most often seen in FAP syndrome, called an adenoma, is precancerous.
• The average age at which an individual with FAP develops colorectal cancer is 39 years old.
• Some people have a variation of the disorder, called attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (AFAP), with fewer polyps.
• The average age of colon cancer onset for those with AFAP is 55 years.
• People with FAP can also develop noncancerous growths called desmoid tumors which are noncancerous (benign) tumors that typically develop in the arms, legs, abdomen.