Since the death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, personal risk for colon cancer seems to be on everyone's mind. One group that faces higher risk for this type of cancer is people who are living with ulcerative colitis and some people who have Crohn's disease.
Read MoreInflammatory Bowel Disease & Colon Cancer Risk
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are two different inflammatory bowel diseases that affect colon cancer risk differently. Colitis is a lifelong condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the colon, which can accumulate and damage the colon. Crohn’s disease is also a lifelong condition, but it can cause chronic inflammation in any part of the GI tract from the mouth to the anus. For some people, that may be the colon, but most commonly it’s the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. Both colitis and Crohn’s can cause intense abdominal pain and diarrhea, among other symptoms. Treatment can sometimes put these conditions into remission. Because colitis causes inflammation in the colon, it raises colon cancer risk for everyone who has it. That risk increases the longer someone has colitis. As a part of routine care, people who have had colitis for eight years or more may get a colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer every one to three years, depending on their individual level of inflammation. In the general population, guidelines recommend colon cancer screening once every ten years starting at age 45. Follow up screenings sooner than ten years are based on whether you have any abnormalities.Dr. Heather Yeo Breaks Down Different Ways to Screen for Colon Cancer
Doctors use colonoscopies to check for abnormal growths (polyps) in the colon that can be cancerous or develop into cancer. People with colitis tend to develop a different kind of polyp than other people do, and these polyps are more likely to contain atypical or pre-cancerous cells.
"So those polyps are one step closer to developing into cancer, whereas a lot of the polyps we find in the general population are benign," Limketkai says.
Crohn's disease is a little bit different. Because this condition can affect any part of the GI tract, Crohn's disease only raises risk for colon cancer if the inflammation is in the colon, which varies from one person to the next.
Does inflammation cause any other types of cancer? Dr. Stephen Freedland explains.
"If it spares the colon, then we don't have to do all the surveillance that we do in colitis," Limketkai says. "Of course, you may need to have colonoscopies for other reasons, and while you're doing that, you're getting a screening anyway."
Related: Why Do So Few Black Men Get Colon Cancer Screening?
Reducing Risk for Colon Cancer in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
When it comes to inflammatory bowel disease, the major risk factor for colon cancer is untreated disease. Treatment, which may include a combination of medication, dietary changes and routine endoscopies, keeps inflammation under control. Sticking to that treatment can help keep colon cancer risk to a minimum, too.
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