How do cancers develop in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?
Charles Knowles, Senior Lecturer in Colorectal Surgery and Hon. Colorectal Surgeon Barts & the London NHS and Homerton University foundation Trusts; Queen Mary, University of London/Barts and The London Hospital
IBD comprises ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. These diseases cause inflammation in the bowel resulting in acute or chronic ill health. A serious complication is development of bowel cancer. Around 1 in 5 patients with severe IBD develop bowel cancer. Such cancers arising from IBD have a higher death rate than normally occurring bowel cancer and the average age of diagnosis is much younger.
However cancers derived from IBD are potentially identifiable at an early stage and can be cured if treated early. Hence there is a rigorous programme of surveillance by examining the lining of the bowel using a flexible telescope (colonoscopy) and by imaging the small intestine by swallowing a pill which generates images (capsule endoscopy).
The present study compares the mechanism of cancer development in patients at known risk due to having IBD as against those with normally occurring bowel cancer. It is doing this by investigating the genetic factors Involved. The techniques required to detect these chromosomal aberrations are very costly and sophisticated. Finding out more at the genetic level about how these cancers develop will allow us to detect individuals at risk of bowel cancer and offer them even more careful surveillance.
This page was last updated on 20-07-2011