Is inflammatory bowel disease a cause of colon cancer?

Yes: Ibd is a risk factor for colon cancer. The risk in ulcerative colitis increases the longer you have the disease, and frequent colonoscopies are recommended with random biopsies to look for abnormal cells. In Crohn's disease, the risk is higher than the general population, but is not as high in ulcerative colitis patients.

Yes: Patients with colitis - crohn's or uc are at higher risk for colin cancer and those patients need to have frequent colonoscopies after 8 years of disease. Patients with ibd are also at increases risk for lymphoma.

Increased risk: Both crohn's disease of the colon and ulcerative colitis (extending beyond the left colon) have an imcreased risk of colon cancer, over time. Regular surveillance colonoscopy, with multiple biopsies, are recommended for sich patoemts, every year or 2. Cancer in these patients usually not from polyps gone bad.

Risk Factor For: Depending on the extent of disease, after 10 -15 years of either ulcerative colitis or crohn's (newer data also links crohn's) - they are considered risk factors for disease. Individuals with long standing ibd are at increased risk for colon cancer and other illnesses.