When you think about treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), you probably think about wanting to reduce the number and severity of its symptoms, like diarrhea, bloody stool, and abdominal pain. These are all disruptive symptoms that can reduce your quality of life and make everyday tasks challenging.
However, treatment for the types of IBD — including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — also aims at healing the inflammation in the digestive tract. That’s because chronic inflammation over time can lead to additional health concerns — including colon cancer.
Dr. Newman is the Chief of Surgical Oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health System, and a professor at Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
References
American Cancer Society. (2023). Key statistics for colorectal cancer.
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. (n.d.). The risk of colorectal cancer in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patients.
Peppercorn, M.A., et al. (2023). Patient education: Crohn’s disease (beyond the basics). UpToDate.
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