ORLANDO, May 17 (Reuters Health) -- Patients with ulcerative colitis who regularly use the drug mesalazine can reduce their risk of colorectal cancer by over 80%, results of a study suggest.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic, inflammatory condition affecting the lining of the large intestine. The condition is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer.
A study of over 100 patients with ulcerative colitis suggests that regular use of mesalazine reduces colon cancer risk by 81%, and regular visits to a physician two or more times a year reduces risk by 84%, reported British investigators at the American Gastroenterological Association meeting here.
Regular colonoscopy -- where a lighted instrument is used to examine the lining of the large intestine -- also significantly reduces cancer risk in these patients, the investigators report.
Even if patients "feel well, they should take their medication on a regular basis, see their doctor regularly and when they are called for a surveillance colonoscopy -- attend!" said researcher Dr. Jayne A. Eaden of Leicester General Hospital in an interview with Reuters Health.
