Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Other Cancers

Some studies have found that persons with IBD have a much higher risk for other cancers for reasons not yet known. For Crohn's disease, these include skin and bladder cancers. For ulcerative colitis, there have been reports of increased risk for connective-tissue and brain cancers, nonmelanoma skin cancers, and bone and endometrial cancers.

The most widely available test to find pre-cancerous or cancerous tissues at an early, curable stage in persons with IBD is endoscopy with biopsy of the colon. An endoscope is a device with a flexible tube and light that allows your doctor to see parts of your digestive system. The tube is inserted through the mouth or anus while you are sedated. A colonoscopy shows the entire colon, a sigmoidoscopy shows the two feet of the colon closest to the anal opening only. A biopsy is when your doctor takes small samples of tissue during the endoscopy to study under a microscope.