Review article: colitis-associated cancer -- time for new strategies.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a feared and potentially life-threatening complication of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn's colitis. Currently, the main preventive strategy is a secondary one, i.e. surveillance colonoscopy usually after 8 years of disease duration, when the risk for neoplasia begins to increase. Despite its widespread acceptance, dysplasia and cancer surveillance is unproven in terms of reducing mortality or morbidity and there is a remarkable lack of uniformity in the manner in which it is practised. In this review article, the pitfalls of dysplasia surveillance are summarized and the need for novel chemopreventive and perhaps pharmabiotic approaches for prevention are highlighted.
Shanahan
F
F
Department of Medicine, Cork University Hospital and University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Ireland. fshanahan@ucc.ie
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018890:Chemoprevention; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D011230:Precancerous Conditions; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use
D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents