Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients are at an increased risk of melanoma, a form of skin cancer, say scientists.
![Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increases Melanoma Risk
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increases Melanoma Risk](https://www.medindia.net/afp/images/Health-US-cancer-treatment-245929.jpg)
"Based on this data, we are suggesting that physicians appropriately counsel IBD patients about the risk of melanoma. Sun-protective measures are very effective in preventing this cancer," says study author Siddharth Singh, M.B.B.S, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist.
Researchers determined this increased risk by performing a comprehensive search of all published studies on IBD over the last seven decades. They analyzed 172,837 patients with IBD (92,208 with Crohn's disease; 79,360 with UC) to find the 179 cases of melanoma after an IBD diagnosis.
Source-Newswise