Cancer-Associated Chemotherapy Induces Less IBD Exacerbations and a Reduction of IBD Medication Afterwards

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing and, consequently, more IBD patients will develop cancer with need for cancer-associated chemotherapy. Physicians are therefore confronted with whether they should continue, stop, or restart IBD medication in relation with chemotherapy. The current strategy in our hospital is to discontinue immunomodulating IBD medication, comprising corticosteroids, anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF), and other immunosuppressives, before starting chemotherapy.