Aims
The aim of our study was to assess the frequency of digestive and extra-digestive cancers in IBD and to identify associated risk factors.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective–prospective monocentric cohort study based on hospitalization records from the Department of Gastroenterology at CHU Mohamed Lamine Debaghine.All patients with a confirmed diagnosis of IBD—Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC)—hospitalized between 2000 and 2025 were included.
For each patient, a standardized data sheet recorded demographic characteristics, disease features, and any cancer that occurred during follow-up. We calculated the overall frequency of digestive and extra-digestive cancers as well as the frequency of each cancer type. We also analyzed potential risk factors.Data entry and analysis were performed using Epi-Info 6.
Results
A total of 724 patients were included: 513 (70.9%) with Crohn’s disease and 209 (28.9%) with ulcerative colitis.Overall, 428 patients (59.1%) had long-standing IBD (>10 years), with a mean disease duration of 13.05 ± 7.82 years.
Thirty-five patients (4.8%) developed cancer.Cancers were distributed as follows: Colorectal adenocarcinoma: 2.34% (n=17), B-cell lymphoma: 0.82% (n=6), Cholangiocarcinoma: 0.27% (n=2), Anal cancer: 0.27% (n=2), Small bowel adenocarcinoma: 0.13% (n=1), Non-melanoma skin cancer: 0.13% (n=1), Breast cancer: 0.41% (n=3), Lung cancer: 0.13% (n=1), Others: 0.27% (n=2)
We observed a significantly higher frequency of cancer in:UC patients (P<0.008),IBD diagnosed after age 40 (P<10⁻⁶),IBD associated with PSC (P<0.0004),Patients exposed to immunosuppressants (P<0.01).No significant association was found with:Sex (P=0.3),Duration of IBD (P=0.6),Exposure to combination therapy (P=0.4),Exposure to anti-TNFα (Infliximab or Adalimumab) (P=0.8).
Conclusions
In our hospital-based series, colorectal cancer was the most frequently observed malignancy.IBD diagnosed after age 40, UC phenotype, associated PSC, and exposure to immunosuppressive therapy were the main risk factors for cancer development in IBD patients