Cancer in Crohn's Disease patients treated with infliximab: a long-term multicenter matched pair study.
BACKGROUND
The long-term risk of neoplasia in Crohn's disease (CD) patients treated with infliximab is undefined. The aim was to assess, in a multicenter, matched-pair study, whether infliximab use in CD is associated with an increased frequency of neoplasia in the long term.


METHODS
A multicenter, long-term, matched-pair study was conducted in 12 referral inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) centers. An initial cohort of 808 CD patients, including 404 infliximab-treated (CD-IFX) and 404 matched CD controls never treated with infliximab (CD-C) studied from 1999 to 2004, was followed up for an additional 4 years (2004-2008). Cases and controls were matched for: sex, age (±5 years), CD site, follow-up (±5 years), immunosuppressant use, and CD duration (±5 years). From 1999 to 2008 the frequency and characteristics of neoplasia were compared between CD-IFX and CD-C.


RESULTS
In 2008, 591 patients (304 CD-IFX, 287 CD-C) were in follow-up. Matched couples included 442 patients: 221 CD-IFX and 221 CD-C (median follow-up, months: 72, range 48-114 versus 75, range 44-114). From 1999 to 2008 the frequency of neoplasia among the 591 patients did not differ between CD-IFX (12/304; 3.94%) and CD-C (12/287; 4.19%; P = 0.95). A comparable frequency of neoplasia was also observed between the 221 matched couples (CD-IFX: 8/221; 3.61% versus CD-C: 9/221; 4.07%; P = 1). No specific histotype of cancer appeared associated with infliximab use.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of neoplasia was comparable in an adult population of CD patients treated or not with infliximab, matched for clinical variables and followed up for a median of 6 years.
Biancone
Livia
L
GI Unit, University, Tor Vergata, Roma. biancone@med.uniroma2.it
Petruzziello
Carmelina
C
Orlando
Ambrogio
A
Kohn
Anna
A
Ardizzone
Sandro
S
Daperno
Marco
M
Angelucci
Erika
E
Castiglione
Fabiana
F
D'Incà
Renata
R
Zorzi
Francesca
F
Papi
Claudio
C
Meucci
Gianmichele
G
Riegler
Gabriele
G
Sica
Giuseppe
G
Rizzello
Fernando
F
Mocciaro
Filippo
F
Onali
Sara
S
Calabrese
Emma
E
Cottone
Mario
M
Pallone
Francesco
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000069285:Infliximab; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents; D000069285:Infliximab