1.   Patients with colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps entered the study after diagnosis.

2.   Similar findings of an increased faecal bile acid concentration and increased secondary bile acid concentration in patients with adenomatous polyps were reported by Reddy and Wynder.

3.   Subjects with adenomatous polyps and cancer have an increased cell proliferation and a shift of the proliferative zone towards the apex of the crypt.

4.   Patients with adenomatous polyps had a significantly higher mean labelling index per cent than controls.

5.   These findings indicate that prolonged supplementation with vitamin C may reduce the recurrence of adenomatous polyps.

6.   Forty nine patients with adenomatous polyps were recruited into this study, nine were not included in the final analysis.

7.   Vitamin E supplementation had no effect on the increased proliferation found in patients with adenomatous polyps.