Inflammatory bowel disease screening

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Main page
Patient Information
Overview
Causes
Classification Crohn's disease Ulcerative colitis
Differential Diagnosis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

While patients of IBD do have an increased risk of colorectal cancer this is usually caught much earlier than the general population in routine surveillance of the colon by colonoscopy, and therefore patients are much more likely to survive.

Screening

Due to the risk of colon cancer associated with ulcerative colitis, screening with colonoscopy is recommended.

The American Cancer Society recommends having your first screening:

• 8 years after you are diagnosed with severe disease, or when most of, or the entire, large intestine is involved
• 12 - 15 years after diagnosis when only the left side of the large intestine is involved