Michael Laffin,Shahzeer Karmali*
Inflammatory bowel disease and its two prototypic illnesses: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have long been thought to confer an increased risk of colorectal cancer, although the magnitude of this effect has been difficult to elucidate. The driving factors behind this relationship include genetics, microbial disturbances, alongside molecular and inflammatory misregulation. The epidemiologic understanding of the inflammatory bowel disease-colorectal cancer relationship has evolved over the last decade. This review will focus on the epidemiology of colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease, and detail the elements driving disease development. Patient risk factors, many that increase the intensity or duration of inflammation, will be detailed. Finally, a practical approach to the tools that clinicians have at their disposal in preventing this disease, including the effect of different medications and timing of colonoscopy will be presented.