What are my chances of getting colon cancer?
Colorectal cancer (CRC) affects about 3% of the general population, but it is the most significant cause of increased death in patient's with UC. Early studies began following patients in the 1950's, concluding that the risk of CRC was not increased during the first decade of disease, but after 10 years the annual risk was 0.5-1.0%. Whether these estimates apply to today's, more recently diagnosed, patients is unclear, since early studies may have had design flaws which exaggerated the risk of cancer.
A recent study of patients with extensive UC, found a rate of dysplasia (pre-cancer) and cancer which was 8% at 20 years after diagnosis and 16% after 30 years; slightly lower than the rate of cancer alone reported in older studies. The cancer risk was 8% at 30 years and 11% at 40 years, <0.5% per year.
In addition to duration of disease, the following factors have been found to increase cancer risk:
1) Greater extent of colonic involvement (pancolonic proctitis)
2) Greater disease activity
3) Young age at onset
4) Primary sclerosing cholangitis (stricturing disease of the bile ducts)
5) Family history of colon cancer
Other than disease activity, the other risk factors are fixed, so what can we do to prevent cancer in UC? ...Next time, next time.
Please feel free to send a comment, ask a question, or suggest a topic.
Comments
I have had ulcerative colitis the past 5 years, and I am only 19 now. I am becoming more stressed out and frustrated with my problem as time passes on. I am always concerned with my chances of getting colon cancer, and I really want to know what the chances of me getting colon cancer are. I would be very grateful to get some information.
Posted by: Sarah | September 19, 2007 10:17 PM