REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disorders: Autoinflammatory Disorders
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1624177
Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Cancer
Provisionally accepted
- 1Beilun District People's Hospital, Ningbo, China
- 2Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
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Background: Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk of cancer due to prolonged exposure to chronic inflammation and immunosuppressive therapies. Methods: A comprehensive review of extant literature was performed. Findings: The cancer landscape in pediatric IBD is complex, with colorectal cancer, small intestine cancer, lymphoma, cholangiocarcinoma/hepatocellular carcinoma, and skin cancer being predominant concerns. The underlying pathogenic mechanisms involve genomic instability induced by chronic inflammation, carcinogenic effects of immunosuppressants, and environmental factors (e.g., high-fat diet and air pollution). Effective cancer surveillance is crucial in mitigating risk. Strategies include early endoscopic monitoring for high-risk populations, routine dermatological assessments, and clinical monitoring for tumor-related symptoms. Conclusion: This review synthesizes current evidence on the epidemiological characteristics, pathogenic mechanisms, and clinical management strategies for IBD-related malignancies in children. An in-depth characterization of the mechanisms by which pediatric IBD contributes to tumorigenesis is essential for developing surveillance protocols and advancing research to reduce tumor-associated morbidity.
Keywords: pediatric, inflammatory bowel disease, Cancer, Inflammation, immunosuppressive
Received: 07 May 2025; Accepted: 08 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zheng, Wu and Hu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yi-Bing Hu, Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, China
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