Optimising inflammatory bowel disease surveillance and dysplasia management-Where do we stand?

Patients with longstanding extensive colitis are at an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC), and are therefore enrolled into colonoscopy screening programmes with the aim of detecting pre-cancerous dysplastic change. However, current surveillance programs face multiple limitations relating to low levels of patient enrolment, missed lesions resulting in interval cancers, and uncertainties in the management of dysplasia. Patient counselling regarding the endoscopic and surgical management options of dysplastic lesions can prove particularly challenging, due to the variable risk of progression to cancer. In this review, we discuss the histopathological diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-associated dysplasia, describe the techniques to maximise dysplasia detection, and present a standardised multi-disciplinary approach to managing patients with dysplasia. The challenges presented by this patient cohort highlight the clear clinical need for further research into the development and validation of non-invasive markers of CRC risk in IBD patients undergoing surveillance.