Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment in Cancer Patients-A Comprehensive Review.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease for which medical treatment with immunomodulating drugs is increasingly used earlier to prevent disability. Additionally, cancer occurrence in IBD patients is increased for several reasons, either IBD-related or therapy-associated. Doctors are therefore facing the challenge of managing patients with IBD and a past or current malignancy and the need to balance the risk of cancer recurrence associated with immunosuppressive drugs with the potential worsening of IBD activity if they are withdrawn. This review aims to explore the features of different subtypes of cancer occurring in IBD patients to present current evidence on malignancy recurrence risk associated with IBD medical therapy along with the effects of cancer treatment in IBD and finally to discuss current recommendations on the management of these patients. Due to sparse data, a case-by-case multidisciplinary discussion is advised, including inputs from the gastroenterologist, oncologist, and patient.

Early-onset colorectal cancer: A review of current knowledge.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. Although most prevalent among older people, its incidence above 50 years old has been decreasing globally in the last decades, probably as a result of better screening. Paradoxically, its incidence in patients below 50 years old [early-onset CRC (EO-CRC)] has been increasing, for reasons not yet fully understood. EO-CRC's increasing incidence is genre independent but shows racial disparities and has been described to occur worldwide. It follows a birth-cohort effect which probably reflects a change in exposure to CRC risk factors. Its incidence is predicted to double until 2030, which makes EO-CRC a serious public health issue. Both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors have been identified - some are potential targets for preventive measures. EO-CRC is often diagnosed at advanced stages and histological features associated with poor prognosis have been described. EO-CRC presents some distinctive features: Microsatellite in-stability is common, but another subtype of tumours, both microsatellite and chromosome stable also seems relevant. There are no age-specific treatment protocols and studies on EO-CRC survival rates have shown conflicting data. Due to the higher germline pathological mutations found in EO-CRC patients, an accurate genetic risk evaluation should be performed. In this review, we summarize the current evidence on epidemiological, clinical, histopathological and molecular features of EO-CRC and discuss the contribution of genetics and lifestyle risk factors. We further comment on screening strategies and specific dimensions to consider when dealing with a younger cancer patient.