Lymphoma and IBD: What is the actual risk?

Guillaume Pineton De Chambrun, Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet, Béńedicte De Vroey, Jean Fred́éric Colombel

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

With the increased use of immunosuppressive and biological agents for the treatment of IBD, the risk of serious side effects, especially lymphoma, has become a major concern for clinicians managing patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. When used for organ transplantation, immunosuppressive drugs have been clearly associated with an increased risk of lymphoma. In IBD, the possible role of thiopurines and anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents in lymphomagenesis is difficult to determine because of the lower doses of drugs used and the potential role of the underlying inflammatory disease. However, large, population-based studies have demonstrated that the risk of lymphoma in the general IBD population seems to be similar to or only slightly higher than that in the general population. Available results from population-based studies and meta-analyses suggest that anti-TNF agents are not associated with an increased risk of lymphoma whereas thiopurines moderately increase this risk in IBD patients. These considerations, as well as the recently identified risk of fatal hepatosplenic T cell lymphoma in young male patients with IBD receiving co-treatment with anti-TNF agents and thiopurines, need to be incorporated into clinical practice in order to decide which treatment will be the most efficient - and also the safest - for each patient.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)93-102
Number of pages10
JournalInflammatory Bowel Disease Monitor
Volume11
Issue number3
StatePublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

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