Cancer Occurrence in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Eight-Year Retrospective Case Series

Abstract

Introduction: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are associated with an increased risk of neoplastic complications due to chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and immunosuppressive treatments. This study aims to evaluate the incidence of cancers in IBD patients, describe their clinical characteristics, and analyze their therapeutic impact. Materials and Methods: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted from July 2017 to July 2025 in the Gastroenterology Department of Ibn Rochd University Hospital, Casablanca. Patients followed for IBD who developed cancer after diagnosis were included. Data analysis was performed using JAMOVI software version 2.3.9. Results: Among 491 patients monitored for IBD, 16 cancer cases were identified (3.25%). The median age was 47.5 years; 62.5% were female. The majority of cases (81.3%) involved Crohn’s disease, predominantly ileocolonic localization. The most frequent tumor sites were colorectal, gynecological, and hematological (19% each). Tumors were diagnosed at an early stage in 62.5% of cases. Treatments varied according to cancer type and stage. The outcome was favorable in 56.3% of cases, with a mortality rate of 18.8%. Conclusion: Patients with IBD have a significant risk of cancer, justifying close surveillance and tailored multidisciplinary management. It could be stated that in our study, 16 cases is too few to draw definitive conclusions about the risk of malignant transformation in IBD. Further prospective studies with larger patient cohorts would be valuable and informative.