Does Mucosal Inflammation Increase Neoplasia Risk in Ulcerative Colitis?

A widely held tenet is that chronic mucosal inflammation versus mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis (UC) increases the risk for colorectal neoplasia, and that long-term endoscopic and histologic remission is associated with a lower risk for colorectal cancer in UC.

To further examine this issue, investigators conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of six UC studies that included patient data on histologic or endoscopic histologic inflammatory activity and development of colorectal dysplasia and cancer.

Among 1025 UC patients (mean duration of disease, 7–20 years), any mucosal or histologic inflammation at colonoscopy versus mucosal healing was associated with increased risk for concurrent colorectal dysplasia or cancer (odds ratio,…