A study presented at the 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology has indicated that the use of mesalamine among patients with inflammatory bowel disease is associated with a decrease in the incidence of colorectal cancer when compared to cases and controls. The research was conducted by scientists at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, who matched 16 patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease to 23 controls with similar body mass index, family history of IBD, family history of colorectal cancer and smoking.

Among those with ulcerative colitis who did not get colorectal cancer, researchers found that 100 percent used mesalamine. While among those with UC who developed colorectal cancer only 76.9 percent used mesalamine. “This finding suggests an association between mesalamine use and reduced risk of colorectal cancer,” according to Jeffrey Tang, M.D. Dr. Tang and his colleagues, including Ann L. Silverman, M.D., conducted conditional logistic regression analysis which revealed that at doses greater than 5068 grams mesalamine use in patients with IBD was associated with an 89 percent reduction in risk of colorectal cancer, compared to IBD patients matched for other major risk factors. While these are provocative findings, it should be noted that this is a small study and further investigation is needed on the chemoprevention potential of mesalamine.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are at significantly higher than average risk for colorectal cancer and should be screened for colorectal cancer according to accepted guidelines, which recommend more frequent screening among those with IBD. However, some research suggests this is not happening.