Related Experiment Video For Colonoscopy
Updated: Oct 26, 2025
Competing-Risk Nomogram for Predicting Cancer-Specific Survival in Multiple Primary Colorectal Cancer Patients after Surgery
Published on: September 27, 2024
Periodic Colonoscopies Are Associated with Improved Survival and Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer in Ulcerative Colitis
Neeraj Narula1, Anne Hu2, Geoffrey C Nguyen3,4
1Department of Medicine (Division of Gastroenterology) and Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, McMaster University, McMaster University Medical Centre, 1280 Main St West, Unit 3V28, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada. Neeraj.narula@medportal.ca.
Background And Study Aims:
This study aimed to identify whether ulcerative colitis (UC) patients who develop colorectal cancer (CRC) present at earlier stages of CRC and have improved survival if prior to their CRC diagnosis, they underwent intermittent follow-up colonoscopies compared to those who have no follow-up colonoscopies.
Methods:
Patients with UC who developed primary CRC were identified using data provided by the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. We defined low-risk CRC stage as estimated 5-year survival ≥ 80% compared to high-risk CRC as 5-year survival < 80%.
Results:
A total of 421 patients were identified with UC and CRC. The 15-year mortality rate was significantly higher in those who did not have follow-up colonoscopy (33/74; 44.6%) compared to the follow-up group (105/347; 30.3%) (p = 0.0172). Among the 219 patients with UC with staging information available, patients who did not have follow-up colonoscopy were more likely to present with high-risk CRC (24/31; 77.4%) compared with patients who had follow-up colonoscopies (88/188; 44.4%) (p = 0.0016). Those who underwent follow-up colonoscopies at average intervals ≤ 3 years presented with high-risk CRC 41.3% of the time, which was less than the 48.6% in those with less frequent colonoscopies and 77.4% in those with no follow-up (p = 0.0048).
Conclusions:
Patients with UC who underwent intermittent follow-up colonoscopies had CRC detected at earlier stages and improvement in all-cause mortality, compared to those who with no follow-up colonoscopies. This may support regular surveillance colonoscopies for patients with UC.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Inflammatory Bowel Disease V: Surgical Management
Here are some common surgical interventions for IBD:
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:29Drugs for Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis in IBD
01:25Endoscopic Procedures II: Colonoscopy
01:26Imaging Studies III: Gastrointestinal Motility Studies and Virtual Colonoscopy
Radionuclide Testing
Radionuclide testing is a sophisticated medical technique for assessing gastrointestinal motility. It focuses on gastric emptying and colonic transit time. Radioactive markers track the movement of food through the digestive system, providing insights into gastrointestinal disorders.
In gastric emptying studies, a meal's liquid and...