Stopping anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy in patients with perianal Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Little is known of the outcome of patients with perianal Crohn's disease after stopping anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. AIM: To evaluate the rate of relapse in perianal Crohn's disease (CD) after stopping anti-TNF therapy. METHODS: Consecutive perianal CD patients treated with anti-TNF therapy with subsequent discontinuation were retrieved from prospective inflammatory bowel disease database of institutes in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore from 1997 to June 2019. Cumulative probability of perianal CD relapse was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 89 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 65-173 months), 44 of the 78 perianal CD patients (56.4%) relapsed after stopping anti-TNF, defined as increased fistula drainage or recurrence of previously healed fistula, after stopping anti-TNF therapy. Cumulative probabilities of perianal CD relapse were 50.8%, 72.6% and 78.0% at 12, 36 and 60 months, respectively. Younger age at diagnosis of CD [adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.09; P = .04] was associated with a higher chance of perianal CD relapse. Among those with perianal CD relapse (n = 44), retreatment with anti-TNF induced remission in 24 of 29 patients (82.8%). Twelve (27.3%) patients required defunctioning surgery and one (2.3%) required proctectomy. Maintenance with thiopurine was not associated with a reduced likelihood of relapse [HR = 1.10; 95% CI: 0.58-2.12; P = .77]. Among the 17 patients who achieved radiological remission of perianal CD, five (35.3%) developed relapse after stopping anti-TNF therapy after a median of 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the perianal CD patients developed relapse after stopping anti-TNF therapy. Most regained response after resuming anti-TNF. However, more than one-fourth of the perianal CD patients with relapse required defunctioning surgery. Radiological assessment before stopping anti-TNF is crucial in perianal CD.

Significant Medical and Surgical Morbidity in Perianal Crohn's Disease: Results from a Territory-Wide Study.

BACKGROUND: The presence of perianal fistulas in Crohn's disease [CD] denotes increased disease aggressiveness. We studied the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of perianal CD [PCD] using the Hong Kong territory-wide IBD Registry [HKIBDR]. METHODS: Consecutive patients with PCD were identified from the HKIBDR, and disease characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were analysed. The risks for medical and surgical therapies were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Among 981 patients with CD with 10530 patient-years of follow-up, 283 [28.8%] had perianal involvement, of which 120 [42.4%] were as first presentation. The mean age at diagnosis of PCD was 29.1 years, and 78.8% were male. The median follow-up duration was 106 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 65-161 months]. Perianal fistula [84.8%] and perianal abscess [52.7%] were the two commonest forms. Male, younger age at diagnosis of CD, and penetrating phenotypes were associated with development of PCD in multivariate analysis. Of 242 patients with fistulizing PCD, 70 [29.2%] required ≥5 courses of antibiotics, and 98 [40.5%] had ≥2 surgical procedures. Nine patients required defunctioning surgery and 4 required proctectomy. Eighty-four patients [34.7%] received biologics. Cumulative probabilities for use of biologics were 4.7%, 5.8%, and 8.6% at 12 months, 36 months, and 96 months, respectively, while the probabilities for surgery were 67.2%, 71.6%, and 77.7%, respectively. Five mortalities were recorded, including 2 cases of anal cancer, 2 CD-related complications, and one case of pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Over 40% of CD patients presented with perianal disease at diagnosis. Patients with PCD had poor outcome, with young age of onset, multiple antibiotic use, and repeated surgery.

Cancer Risk in 2621 Chinese Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Population-based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Studies on cancer risk in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have yielded inconsistent results. We conducted a population-based study to determine the risk of cancer in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: Using a territory-wide IBD registry in Hong Kong, we identified 2621 patients with IBD and no history of cancer from 1990 to 2016. We followed them from diagnosis until either September 2016, cancer development, proctocolectomy, or death. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of overall cancer and site-specific cancers were calculated. RESULTS: Of 2621 patients with IBD (1108 CD; 1603 UC; median age, 49 yr; 59.5% men) followed for 26,234 person-years, 88 patients developed cancer after IBD diagnosis. Patients with CD had an increased risk of anorectal cancers (SIR 4.11; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.84-9.14) and hematological cancers (SIR 3.86, 95% CI, 1.61-9.27) including leukemia (SIR 5.98; 95% CI, 1.93-18.54). Nonmelanoma skin cancer was significantly increased in both CD and UC (CD: SIR 13.88; 95% CI, 1.95-98.51; UC: SIR 9.05; 95% CI, 2.26-36.19). Patients with CD had a higher risk of renal-cell carcinoma (SIR 6.89; 95% CI, 2.22-21.37), and patients with UC had a higher risk of prostate cancer (SIR 2.47; 95% CI, 1.24-4.95). CONCLUSIONS: In a population-based study, Chinese patients with CD are at an increased risk of anorectal cancers and hematological cancers compared with the general population. A higher risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer was also observed in CD and UC. Cancer surveillance should be considered.