| Theme |
Inflammation and cancer in the lower GI tract |
| Title |
Surveillance colonoscopy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) |
| Author |
Keisuke Hata |
Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo |
| Author |
Toshiaki Watanabe |
Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo |
| [ Summary ] |
Surveillance colonoscopy is recommended to detect colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients with longstanding ulcerative colitis (UC). Although step biopsies have been the gold standard for UC-associated CRC surveillance, they are time-consuming and are of questionable effectiveness. Recently, targeted biopsies with indigo carmine chromoendoscopy are replacing step biopsies in real clinical settings, and some guidelines now recommend targeted biopsy with chromoendoscopy as an alternative to step biopsy. However, there is insufficient evidence for this recommendation, and there are few reports directly comparing targeted and step biopsies. A randomized controlled trial comparing these methods is currently being conducted in Japan, the results of which are expected to establish a more evidencebased UC surveillance program. |