title: Cancer surveillance strategies in ulcerative colitis: the need for modernization.
abstract: The risk of colorectal cancer is increased in patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis. Traditional surveillance has centered around regular standard white-light colonoscopy, with multiple biopsies aimed at detecting dysplasia or the identification of early cancer. This has resulted in only a modest reduction in cancer incidence and mortality. A better understanding of disease risk factors may allow endoscopic resources to be more focused on patients at higher risk. In addition, advanced endoscopic techniques have the potential to improve dysplasia detection, minimize the need for routine biopsies, and allow for the removal of dysplastic lesions, avoiding the need for surgery. Techniques such as magnification colonoscopy, chromoendoscopy, narrow band imaging, autofluorescence, and confocal endomicroscopy may all have a role to play in improving the benefits of endoscopic surveillance. Revised endoscopic surveillance strategies are proposed, incorporating aspects of risk stratification, a well-established practice in noncolitis-related colorectal cancer screening, and some of these new technologies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Marios
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Efthymiou
authors.forename: Andrew C F
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kamm
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D001706:Biopsy; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers