Cancer and pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Cancer in children may be mistakenly diagnosed as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and specific cancers may develop in patients who truly have IBD. Ulcerative colitis patients historically carry an increased risk of colorectal adenocarcinoma, but current practices of surveillance and early surgery may have an impact on this. Crohn’s disease patients require surveillance for colon cancer, but are also likely to be at increased risk for small bowel tumors and lymphoma. Some malignancies affecting IBD patients are sequelae of immunomanipulation, performed in the interest of IBD therapy itself. Knowing the cancer risks associated with IBD and those associated with agents used for IBD treatment, and practicing long-term surveillance for these tumors, are central components of caring for patients with IBD. Lessons learned from the fields of oncology and bone marrow transplantation may provide future directions and potential cures in IBD.