Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) is a condition in which the tendency to develop large numbers of a certain type of polyp is inherited. Individuals with this condition typically develop hundreds to thousands of polyps throughout the colon at a young age, usually as a teenager or young adult. However, there is also another (milder) form of FAP where persons have less than a hundred polyps, but these polyps are still at increased risk to become cancer and should be removed.
 
The major concern in this condition is that these polyps will become cancerous. People born with FAP are at nearly 100 percent risk of developing colon cancer if they do not have their polyps removed.
 
They also have an elevated risk of other types of cancer (small intestine, thyroid, brain, and a rare form of childhood liver cancer.) Screening for these risks is an important part of prevention. Some families with FAP also have other tumors that can be benign, which is also important to know. With FAP, there is no safety in simply waiting for symptoms to develop. It is vital that parents and guardians talk to their doctors and make every effort to have examinations of their children at risk starting at age 11 even if they do not have symptoms.