Prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease related dysplasia and cancer in 1500 colonoscopies from a referral center in northwestern Greece.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: To report on the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) related intestinal dysplasia and cancer in northwestern Greece.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Single referral center retrospective study. The policy among all gastroenterologists of the area regarding medical treatment, patient follow up and bowel surveillance strategies including risk factors is the same.

RESULTS

We analyzed 1494 colonoscopies from 696 consecutive IBD patients (494 UC). The follow up time [median, IQR] was 16 [8-23] years and the age at diagnosis was 28 [21-49] years. The number of patient years at risk was 16.219. Disease location for UC was: pancolitis 761 (59%), left sided colitis 455 (35%), and proctitis 69 (6%). Disease location for CD was: colitis 142 (66%), ileitis 45 (22%) and ileocolitis 21 (10%). Disease activity was in remission in 1240 (83%) of them. In total, 498 (72%) patients were on mesalazine, 169(24%) on immunosuppression and 29 (4%) on biologicals. Biopsies were taken randomly in 1429 (96%) endoscopies and were targeted in 65 (4%) of them. We recorded 69 (9.4%) cases with dysplasia and 10 (1.4%) cases with intestinal cancer (9 in UC). No difference was found for dysplasia and cancer in patients who followed up for 10-20 years or for more than 20 years.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of dysplasia and cancer is increased in UC compared to CD but the prevalence of high-grade dysplasia is comparatively low. Intestinal cancer prevalence is increasing after the first decade and then practically remains stable.