With inflammatory bowel disease, do I have a higher chance of getting colon cancer?
Yes. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can increase your chances of getting cancer of the colon, or large intestine. Even so, more than 90 percent of people with IBD do NOT get colon cancer. What we know about colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comes mostly from studying people with ulcerative colitis. Less is known about the link between Crohn’s disease and cancer. But research suggests that Crohn’s patients have an increased risk as well. For both diseases, the risk of colon cancer depends on: • How long you have had IBD • How much of your colon is affected by IBD Also, people who have family members with colon cancer may have an even higher chance of getting the cancer. For people with ulcerative colitis, the risk of colon cancer does not start to increase until they have had the disease for 8 to 10 years. People whose disease affects the entire colon have the highest risk of colon cancer. People whose disease affects only the rectum have the lowest risk. People with i
