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Anorectal Carcinoma After Infliximab Therapy in Crohn’s Disease: Report of a Case

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Diseases of the Colon & Rectum

Infliximab, monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor α, is an effective agent in the therapy of Crohn’s disease. Although therapy with infliximab is generally well tolerated, there is an obvious concern about the effect of this treatment on the incidence of cancer. We report a case of mucinous anorectal adenocarcinoma observed in a 39-year-old patient with long-standing Crohn’s disease after therapy with two courses of infliximab. The carcinoma was discovered fortuitously after abdominoperineal resection. Despite clear margins, the tumor recurred in a few months and progressed during combination chemotherapy. Although there is currently no definitive proof of a causal link between infliximab therapy and cancer, the present observation and other reports in the literature should lead to a careful evaluation of the possibility of increased cancer risk in patients treated with this new agent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Charles University Medical School Teaching Hospital, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

    Bohuslav Melichar M.D., Ph.D.

  2. Department of Medicine, Charles University Medical School Teaching Hospital, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

    Bohuslav Melichar M.D., Ph.D. & Jan Bureš M.D., Ph.D.

  3. Department of Pathology, Charles University Medical School Teaching Hospital, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic

    Karel Dědič M.D., Ph.D.

  4. Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Charles University Medical School Teaching Hospital, Sokolská 581, Building 23, Hradec Králové, 500 05, Czech Republic

    Bohuslav Melichar M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Bohuslav Melichar M.D., Ph.D.
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  2. Jan Bureš M.D., Ph.D.
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  3. Karel Dědič M.D., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Bohuslav Melichar M.D., Ph.D..

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Supported by a grant of Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic CEZ-MŠMT 115000021 and Research Project MZO 00179906.

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Melichar, B., Bureš, J. & Dědič, K. Anorectal Carcinoma After Infliximab Therapy in Crohn’s Disease: Report of a Case. Dis Colon Rectum 49, 1228–1233 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10350-006-0647-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10350-006-0647-6

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