A study in American Journal of Gastroenterology found no increased risk of cancer for patients with elderly onset inflammatory bowel disease — however, there was evidence of increased risk for other oncology disorders.
The researchers identified 844 patients above the age of 60 years old who were recently diagnosed with IBD; this group included 370 patients with Crohn's disease and 474 patients with ulcerative colitis. They compared the incidence of various intestinal cancers within the group.
Here's what you need to know:
1. There was no significant increased risk of any intestinal cancer for patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis; among all IBD patients, only 11.6 percent developed a cancer.
2. Of the patients that did develop a cancer, the median time between IBD diagnosis and cancer incidence was 78 months.
3. The researchers did find an increased risk of malignant lymphoproliferative disorders and of myeloproliferative disorders for all IBD patients.
The researchers concluded: "These data reinforce the difference between elderly onset IBD as compared with patients with younger age at IBD onset."