Ulcerative colitis and cancer

Abstract

Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are at an increased risk for the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). Unlike sporadic CRC, the cancer in UC patients arises from a focal or multifocal dysplastic mucosa in areas of inflammation. The clinical features of UC-associated cancer are similar to those found in patients with hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer. As with other varieties of CRC, UC-associated cancer exhibits a variety of genetic and molecular changes/abnormalities. These abnormalities are however clustered in areas of mucosae with histological abnormalities. The magnitude and timing of these changes are however significantly different. Surveillance and identification of patients at risk for cancer are a challenging problem.