Inflammatory bowel disease screening

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview[edit | edit source]

While patients of IBD do have an increased risk of colorectal cancer this is usually caught much earlier than the general population in routine surveillance of the colon by colonoscopy, and therefore patients are much more likely to survive.

Screening[edit | edit source]

Due to the risk of colon cancer associated with ulcerative colitis, screening with colonoscopy is recommended.

The American Cancer Society recommends having your first screening:

• 8 years after diagnosis of severe disease, or when most of, or the entire, large intestine is involved.
• 12 - 15 years after diagnosis when only the left side of the large intestine is involved.

References[edit | edit source]