Colonoscopic surveillance improves survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis in inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopic surveillance provides the best practical means for preventing colorectal cancer (CRC) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Strong evidence for improved survival from surveillance programmes is sparse. METHOD: The aim of this study was to compare tumour stage and survival of IBD patients with CRC who were a part of a surveillance programme with those who were not. A nationwide pathology database (PALGA (pathologisch anatomisch landelijk geautomatiseerd archief)) was consulted to identify IBD patients with CRC treated in all eight university hospitals in The Netherlands over a period of 15 years. Patients were assigned to the surveillance group when they had undergone one or more surveillance colonoscopies before a diagnosis of CRC. Patients who had not undergone surveillance served as controls. Tumour stage and survival were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 149 patients with IBD-associated CRC were identified. Twenty-three had had colonoscopic surveillance before CRC was discovered. The 5-year CRC-related survival rate of patients in the surveillance group was 100% compared with 74% in the non-surveillance group (P=0.042). In the surveillance group, only one patient died as a consequence of CRC compared with 29 patients in the control group (P=0.047). In addition, more early tumour stages were found in the surveillance group (P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence for improved survival from colonoscopic surveillance in IBD patients by detecting CRC at a more favourable tumour stage.

More right-sided IBD-associated colorectal cancer in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and concurrent primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) have a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) than IBD patients without PSC. The aim of this study was to investigate potential clinical differences between patients with CRC in IBD and those with CRC in IBD and PSC, as this may lead to improved knowledge of underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of CRC development. METHODS: The retrospective study from 1980-2006 involved 7 Dutch university medical centers. Clinical data were retrieved from cases identified using the national pathology database (PALGA). RESULTS: In total, 27 IBD-CRC patients with PSC (70% male) and 127 IBD-CRC patients without PSC (59% male) were included. CRC-related mortality was not different between groups (30% versus 19%, P = 0.32); however, survival for cases with PSC after diagnosing CRC was lower (5-year survival: 40% versus 75% P = 0.001). Right-sided tumors were more prevalent in the PSC group (67% versus 36%, P = 0.006); adjusted for age, sex, and extent of IBD, this difference remained significant (odds ratio: 4.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0-11.8). In addition, tumors in individuals with PSC were significantly more advanced. CONCLUSIONS: The right colon is the predilection site for development of colonic malignancies in patients with PSC and IBD. When such patients are diagnosed with cancer they tend to have more advanced tumors than patients with IBD without concurrent PSC, and the overall prognosis is worse. Furthermore, the higher frequency of right-sided tumors in patients with PSC suggests a different pathogenesis between patients with PSC and IBD and those with IBD alone.

High frequency of early colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To detect precancerous dysplasia or asymptomatic cancer, patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease often undergo colonoscopic surveillance based on American or British guidelines. It is recommended that surveillance is initiated after 8-10 years of extensive colitis, or after 15-20 years for left-sided disease. These starting points, however, are not based on solid scientific evidence. Our aim was to assess the time interval between onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal carcinoma (CRC), and subsequently evaluate how many patients developed cancer before their surveillance was recommended to commence. METHODS: A nationwide automated pathology database (PALGA) was consulted to identify patients with IBD-associated colorectal carcinoma in seven university medical centres in The Netherlands between January 1990 and June 2006. Data were collected retrospectively from patient charts. Time intervals between onset of disease and cancer diagnosis were calculated in months. RESULTS: 149 patients were identified with confirmed diagnoses of IBD and CRC (ulcerative colitis n = 89/Crohn's disease n = 59/indeterminate colitis n = 1). Taking date of diagnosis as the entry point, 22% of patients developed cancer before the 8 or 15 year starting points of surveillance, and 28% if surveillance was commenced 10 or 20 years after diagnosis for extensive or left-sided disease, respectively. Using onset of symptoms to calculate the time interval, 17-22% of patients would present with cancer prior to the surveillance starting points. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that the diagnosis of colorectal cancer is delayed or missed in a substantial number of patients (17-28%) when conducting surveillance strictly according to formal guidelines.

Review article: The relevance of surveillance endoscopy in long-lasting inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Development of colitis-associated colorectal cancer is an important clinical problem in patients with colonic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). British and American guidelines recommend to start surveillance after a disease duration of 8-10 or 15-20 years for patients with extensive or left-sided colitis, respectively. AIM: To assess the evidence level of current surveillance strategies. METHODS: A PubMed-based literature search using the search terms inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, dysplasia, colorectal cancer and surveillance was performed. RESULTS: Low-grade and high-grade dysplastic lesions progress to cancer in a high percentage of patients. Furthermore, concurrent cancer is found in approximately one-third of the patients with colonic dysplasia. Low-level evidence showing reduced colorectal cancer-related mortality in patients who were undergoing surveillance is available. Patients with concomitant primary sclerosing cholangitis form a subgroup of IBD patients with an even higher risk of colorectal neoplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Colonic surveillance prolongs life expectancy of patients with long-lasting IBD.

[British and American screening guidelines inadequate for prevention of colorectal carcinoma in patients with inflammatory bowel disease]. / Preventie van colorectaal carcinoom bij inflammatoir darmlijden onvoldoende met de Britse en Amerikaanse opsporingsrichtlijnen.

OBJECTIVE: To determine how many cases of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-related colorectal cancer (CRC) occur before recommended colonoscopy screening commences. DESIGN: Descriptive. METHOD: A nationwide automated histological and cytopathological archive (PALGA) was used to identify patients with IBD and CRC in the period January 1990-June 2006 at the University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. The interval between the diagnosis of IBD or IBD-related symptoms and the diagnosis of CRC was calculated. The observed interval was compared with the recommended starting point for surveillance according to the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), i.e. after 8-10 years for pancolitis or after 15-20 years for left-sided colitis. RESULTS: 33 colorectal cancers were found in 29 patients with IBD. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 29 years (range: 11-82) for IBD and 47 years (range: 23-82) for CRC. 7 of the 29 patients (24%) developed CRC before the minimum recommended time to initiate screening (8 years for pancolitis, 15 years for left-sided colitis), and 9 patients (31%) developed CRC within the maximum recommended time to initiate screening (10 years for pancolitis, 20 years for left-sided colitis). If the onset of IBD-related symptoms was considered the starting point of the disease (rather than the diagnosis of IBD), 17-24% of patients developed a CRC before surveillance would have commenced. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that, by following the British and American guidelines for screening for IBD-related CRC, a substantial portion of cases (17-31%) would not be diagnosed in a timely manner.