Researchers and clinicians have developed major new guidelines for the monitoring of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to prevent them going on to develop bowel cancer.
The new guidelines, developed for the British Society of Gastroenterology by academics at the Universities of Newcastle, Oxford, Central Lancashire and others, have been published in the journal Gut.
Despite improved treatments and regular check-ups, people with IBD—which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—still have a higher risk of developing and dying from bowel, or colorectal, cancer compared to the general population.
A person’s risk of developing bowel cancer may depend on different factors, for example: how long they have had IBD; which part of their bowel is affected; or the severity of inflammation they experience.
Among the recommendations in the guidelines are that all IBD patients have a colonoscopy around eight years after their symptoms start, and that any patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis—a rare condition that causes inflammation of the bile ducts and sometimes liver damage—should have a colonoscopy at diagnosis.
Among those contributing to the new guidelines were doctors, including endoscopists and surgeons, specialist nurses and patients. They analyzed more than 7,500 publications to arrive at 73 statements that might inform clinical decision-making and deliver IBD colorectal surveillance services.
Chris Lamb, Professor of Gastroenterology at Newcastle University as well as a member of the NIHR Newcastle BRC and a co-author on the paper, added, “Working in partnership with patients and clinicians from across the U.K., we have an important up-to-date framework for care using the latest evidence, technology and expert opinion.
“This will help to provide shared decision-making tailored to the individual for personalized risk prediction and treatment. Developing the guidelines allowed us to identify key factors for delivering the highest quality care in the NHS, how best to train the future workforce, plus to identify where more research is needed in 2025 and beyond.”
Accurate, up-to-date advice for clinicians
Professor James East, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Endoscopist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and first author on the paper said, “These guidelines provide accurate, up-to-date advice for clinicians working with IBD patients, to give them the tools they need to give the best possible care and treatment for their patients.
“That might relate to how to discuss the risk of colorectal cancer with individual IBD patients; when to start and stop surveillance, how often it should happen and who should receive it; how to organize services and support patients; and a wide range of other issues that might arise.”
Professor Morris Gordon, from the University of Central Lancashire, is co-first author of the guidelines. He stated, “These guidelines represent a significant shift in approach and employ the best available methods to support the guideline group in identifying, appraising, using and describing evidence that underpins their decision-making. This is presented transparently to the reader so they can always understand how and why decisions were made, and it supports individual discussions with patients.”
Catherine Winsor, Director of Services and Evidence at Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said, “We know that people living with Crohn’s and Colitis need personalized, joined-up care and some IBD services are stretched. Having this clear set of guidelines to facilitate the early detection of cancer in people with Crohn’s and Colitis is a huge step forward. While we know that most people with IBD will not go on to develop colorectal cancer, the earlier changes are spotted, the more effective treatment will be. Anything that enables early detection and gives patients and clinicians a clear path is vital.”
More information:
James Edward East et al, British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on colorectal surveillance in inflammatory bowel disease, Gut (2025). DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2025-335023
Citation:
New guidelines for monitoring IBD patients to prevent bowel cancer (2025, May 1)
retrieved 1 May 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-guidelines-ibd-patients-bowel-cancer.html
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part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
Researchers and clinicians have developed major new guidelines for the monitoring of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to prevent them going on to develop bowel cancer. The new guidelines, developed for the British Society of Gastroenterology by academics at the Universities of Newcastle, Oxford, Central Lancashire and others, have been published in the journal Gut. Despite improved treatments and regular check-ups, people with IBD—which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—still have a higher risk of developing and dying from bowel, or colorectal, cancer compared to the general population. A person’s risk of developing bowel cancer may depend on different factors, for example: how long they have had IBD; which part of their bowel is affected; or the severity of inflammation they experience. Among the recommendations in the guidelines are that all IBD patients have a colonoscopy around eight years after their symptoms start, and that any patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis—a rare condition that causes inflammation of the bile ducts and sometimes liver damage—should have a colonoscopy at diagnosis. Among those contributing to the new guidelines were doctors, including endoscopists and surgeons, specialist nurses and patients. They analyzed more than 7,500 publications to arrive at 73 statements that might inform clinical decision-making and deliver IBD colorectal surveillance services. Chris Lamb, Professor of Gastroenterology at Newcastle University as well as a member of the NIHR Newcastle BRC and a co-author on the paper, added, “Working in partnership with patients and clinicians from across the U.K., we have an important up-to-date framework for care using the latest evidence, technology and expert opinion. “This will help to provide shared decision-making tailored to the individual for personalized risk prediction and treatment. Developing the guidelines allowed us to identify key factors for delivering the highest quality care in the NHS, how best to train the future workforce, plus to identify where more research is needed in 2025 and beyond.” Professor James East, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Endoscopist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and first author on the paper said, “These guidelines provide accurate, up-to-date advice for clinicians working with IBD patients, to give them the tools they need to give the best possible care and treatment for their patients. “That might relate to how to discuss the risk of colorectal cancer with individual IBD patients; when to start and stop surveillance, how often it should happen and who should receive it; how to organize services and support patients; and a wide range of other issues that might arise.” Professor Morris Gordon, from the University of Central Lancashire, is co-first author of the guidelines. He stated, “These guidelines represent a significant shift in approach and employ the best available methods to support the guideline group in identifying, appraising, using and describing evidence that underpins their decision-making. This is presented transparently to the reader so they can always understand how and why decisions were made, and it supports individual discussions with patients.” Catherine Winsor, Director of Services and Evidence at Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said, “We know that people living with Crohn’s and Colitis need personalized, joined-up care and some IBD services are stretched. Having this clear set of guidelines to facilitate the early detection of cancer in people with Crohn’s and Colitis is a huge step forward. While we know that most people with IBD will not go on to develop colorectal cancer, the earlier changes are spotted, the more effective treatment will be. Anything that enables early detection and gives patients and clinicians a clear path is vital.” More information: Citation: This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
Accurate, up-to-date advice for clinicians
James Edward East et al, British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on colorectal surveillance in inflammatory bowel disease, Gut (2025). DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2025-335023
New guidelines for monitoring IBD patients to prevent bowel cancer (2025, May 1)
retrieved 1 May 2025
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-guidelines-ibd-patients-bowel-cancer.html
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.
