Difference 5: Cancer Risk – The Long-Term Threat
The risk of cancer is another crucial difference between UC and CD. Both conditions, due to chronic inflammation, carry an increased risk of gastrointestinal cancers. However, the type of cancer and the risk factors differ between the two.
In UC, the risk of colorectal cancer is significantly increased, particularly in patients with extensive colonic involvement and a longer duration of disease. The risk starts to increase after 8-10 years of disease and continues to rise with time. Other risk factors for colorectal cancer in UC include a family history of colorectal cancer and the presence of primary sclerosing cholangitis, a liver condition often associated with UC.
On the other hand, CD carries an increased risk of small bowel cancer, in addition to colorectal cancer. The risk factors for cancer in CD are not as well defined as in UC but include a longer duration of disease, extensive small bowel involvement, and the presence of strictures or narrowings in the bowel. (5)
