Saturday, December 8, 2018

Inflammatory bowel disease increases risk of prostate cancer


CANCER DIGEST – Dec. 8, 2018 – Men with inflammatory bowel disease have four to five times higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer a 20-year study has found.

This is the first study to show such a link to prostate cancer in men with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an umbrella term that describes chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, diarrhea, blood in the stool and unintended weight loss.

It should not be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which involves cramping, stomach pain, diarrhea or constipation or both.

The study led by Dr. Shilajit Kundu at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine followed 1,033 men with inflammatory bowel disease and 9,306 men without the disease were followed for 18 years. The results were published in the journal European Urology.

They found that the group with the disease had higher than average PSA values and a significantly higher risk of potentially dangerous prostate cancer.

The researchers conclude that men with IBD should be screened more carefully for prostate cancer, and those with high PSA should be monitored closely for prostate cancer.

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