Controversies in Pouch Surveillance for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Cancer in the Anal Transition Zone and Ileoanal Pouch following Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis remains the gold standard treatment for patients with ulcerative colitis who desire restoration of intestinal continuity. Despite a significant cancer risk reduction after surgical removal of the colon and rectum, dysplasia and cancers of the ileal pouch or anal transition zone still occur and are a risk even if an anal canal mucosectomy is performed. Surgical care and maintenance after ileoanal anastomosis must include consideration of malignant potential along with other commonly monitored variables such as bowel function and quality of life. Cancers and dysplasia of the ileal pouch are rare but sometimes difficult-to-manage sequelae of pouch surgery.

Ileoanal pouch cancers in ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Restorative proctocolectomy results in the formation of a pouch that adapts to a more colonic phenotype. The incidence of cancer of the pouch is thought to be low with most societal guidelines differing on their recommendations for surveillance.

AIMS

We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to report the incidence of cancer in all pouch patients.

METHODS

The Embase, Embase classic and PubMed databases were searched between June 1979- June 2021. A random effects model was performed to find the pooled incidence of pouch cancer. In addition, we also looked for risk factors for pouch cancers.

RESULTS

Forty-six studies were included. In 19,964 patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) the pooled incidence of pouch cancer was 0.0030 (95% CI: 0.0016 -0.0055). In 3741 patients with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) the pooled incidence of pouch cancer was 0.01 (95% CI: 0.01 - 0.02). In UC most pouch cancers were found to occur in the pouch body (0.59 (95% CI: 0.29-0.84)).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that the pooled incidence of pouch cancer in UC is similar to that which was previously published, and this is the first meta-analysis to report a pooled incidence for pouch cancer in FAP.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Cancer in the Anal Transitional Zone and Ileal Pouch following Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is the intervention of choice for ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis requiring surgery. One of the long-term complications is pouch cancer, having a poor prognosis. The risk of high-grade dysplasia and cancer in the anal transitional zone and ileal pouch after 20 years is estimated to be 2 to 4.5% and 3 to 10% in ulcerative colitis and familial polyposis, respectively. The risk factors for ulcerative colitis are the presence of pre-operative dysplasia or cancer, disease duration > 10 years and severe villous atrophy. For familial polyposis, the risk factors are the number of pre-operative polyps > 1000, surgery with stapled anastomosis and the duration of follow-up. In the case of ulcerative colitis, a pouchoscopy should be performed annually if one of the following is present: dysplasia and cancer at surgery, primary sclerosing cholangitis, villous atrophy and active pouchitis (every 5 years without any of these factors). In the case of familial polyposis, endoscopy is recommended every year including chromoendoscopy. Even if anal transitional zone and ileal pouch cancers seldom occur following proctectomy for ulcerative colitis and familial adenomatous polyposis, the high mortality rate associated with this complication warrants endoscopic monitoring.

Primary Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Ileal Pouch

A 55-year-old man with a history of ulcerative colitis status post ileal pouch-anal anastomosis underwent evaluation for pouchitis. He was found to have signet ring cell cancer within the pouch. Primary cancers of the ileal pouch are rare. Signet ring cell carcinoma is a rare form of adenocarcinoma that can involve the gastrointestinal tract and other organs. We present a case of a signet ring cell carcinoma arising from an ileal pouch.

Management of Dysplasia in Ulcerative Colitis

Surveillance colonoscopies for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) are necessary to monitor for the development of cancer and its precursor, dysplasia. The management of dysplasia in the setting of UC has been evolving over the past two decades. This is in large part due to higher resolution colonoscopes and development of advanced endoscopic techniques, such as chromoendoscopy, endoscopic mucosal resection, and endoscopic submucosal dissection. Mucosal evaluation, as well as identification and removal of dysplastic tissue, has improved markedly, such that the majority of dysplasia is now considered visible. Whereas previously random biopsies were deemed necessary for surveillance, currently their value is uncertain. Surveillance with high-definition colonoscopes is recommended and consideration of chromoendoscopy is suggested. During colonoscopy, if visible dysplasia is identified and removed completely, continued surveillance is appropriate. If dysplasia is unresectable or there are other high-risk factors such as primary sclerosing cholangitis or multifocality, patients should undergo colectomy. If random biopsies are taken and high-grade dysplasia is identified, that is, invisible dysplasia, patients should similarly consider colectomy. Surgical options include total proctocolectomy with end ileostomy versus ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Patients undergoing pouch surgery must continue surveillance for dysplasia of the rectal cuff and the pouch. Although surgical management remains an important option for dysplasia in the setting of UC, endoscopic surveillance and resection have improved tremendously, leading to a shift in the overall management strategies for these patients.

Perioperative and Postoperative Management of Patients With Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Although the number of available therapies for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease (CD) continues to expand, a significant portion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease will require surgical intervention. Surgery remains an integral part of the treatment algorithm for patients with ulcerative colitis and CD, and thus multidisciplinary approaches to the perioperative and postoperative management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease are critical to improving outcomes during these periods. New mechanisms of biologic therapies are emerging and new treatment strategies focused on earlier and potentially more aggressive use of immunosuppressive therapies are advocated in the current treatment era. In this review, we outline multidisciplinary strategies for the preoperative management of immunosuppressive therapies, including a discussion of the most recent evidence regarding the safety of biologic therapy in the preoperative period. We also discuss the postoperative medical management of patients undergoing intestinal resection for CD, with a particular focus on risk stratification and appropriate therapy selection in the immediate postoperative setting. Finally, we review potential postoperative complications after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis and their management.

Ileal-anal pouches: A review of its history, indications, and complications

The ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) has revolutionised the surgical management of ulcerative colitis (UC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Despite refinement in surgical technique(s) and patient selection, IPAA can be associated with significant morbidity. As the IPAA celebrated its 40^th anniversary in 2018, this review provides a timely outline of its history, indications, and complications. IPAA has undergone significant modification since 1978. For both UC and FAP, IPAA surgery aims to definitively cure disease and prevent malignant degeneration, while providing adequate continence and avoiding a permanent stoma. The majority of patients experience long-term success, but “early” and “late” complications are recognised. Pelvic sepsis is a common early complication with far-reaching consequences of long-term pouch dysfunction, but prompt intervention (either radiological or surgical) reduces the risk of pouch failure. Even in the absence of sepsis, pouch dysfunction is a long-term complication that may have a myriad of causes. Pouchitis is a common cause that remains incompletely understood and difficult to manage at times. 10% of patients succumb to the diagnosis of pouch failure, which is traditionally associated with the need for pouch excision. This review provides a timely outline of the history, indications, and complications associated with IPAA. Patient selection remains key, and contraindications exist for this surgery. A structured management plan is vital to the successful management of complications following pouch surgery.

Current Practices in Ileal Pouch Surveillance for Patients With Ulcerative Colitis: A Multinational, Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

There are no universally accepted guidelines regarding surveillance of ulcerative colitis [UC] patients after restorative proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis [IPAA]. There also exists a lack of validated quality assurance standards for performing pouchoscopy. To better understand IPAA surveillance practices in the face of this clinical equipoise, we carried out a retrospective cohort study at five inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] referral centres.

METHODS

Records of patients who underwent IPAA for UC or IBD unclassified [IBDU] were reviewed, and patients with <1-year follow-up after restoration of intestinal continuity were excluded. Criteria for determining the risk of pouch dysplasia formation were collected as well as the use of pouchoscopy, biopsies, and completeness of reports.

RESULTS

We included 272 patients. Median duration of pouch follow-up was 10.5 [3.3-23.6] years; 95/272 [35%] had never undergone pouchoscopy for any indication; 191/272 [70%] had never undergone pouchoscopy with surveillance as the specific indication; and 3/26 [12%] high-risk patients had never undergone pouchoscopy. Two cases of adenocarcinoma were identified, occurring in the rectal cuff of low-risk patients. Patients under the care of surgeons appeared more likely to undergo surveillance, but rates of incomplete reporting were higher among surgeons [78%] than gastroenterologists [54%, p = 0.002].

CONCLUSIONS

We observed wide variation in surveillance of UC/IBDU-IPAA patients. In addition, the rate of neoplasia formation among 'low-risk' patients was higher than may have been expected. We therefore concur with previous recommendations that pouchoscopy be performed at 1 year postoperatively, to refine risk-stratification based on clinical factors alone. Reports should document findings in all regions of the pouch and biopsies should be taken.

A Comprehensive Approach to Pouch Disorders

Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the surgical procedure of choice for patients with medically refractory ulcerative colitis (UC) or indeterminate colitis, UC with colonic dysplasia or neoplasia, and familial adenomatous polyposis. In general, patients experience good function outcomes and quality of life with an IPAA. Although pouchitis is the most well-recognized and frequent complication after IPAA, a number of additional inflammatory, postsurgical, structural, neoplastic, and functional complications may occur, resulting in pouch dysfunction. We herein provide a comprehensive review of pouch function and an approach to diagnosis and management of pouch complications.

Short article: Recommendations on rectal surveillance for colorectal cancer after subtotal colectomy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Approximately 30% of patients with ulcerative colitis require a colectomy during their disease course. This substantially reduces colorectal cancer risk, although it is still possible to develop colorectal neoplasia in the remaining rectum. Although clear and well-accepted surveillance guidelines exist for patients with inflammatory bowel disease with an intact colon, specific surveillance recommendations following colectomy are less clear. Here, we aim to summarize the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for developing colorectal cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease who underwent subtotal colectomy with a permanent end ileostomy and rectal stump, or with ileorectal anastomosis. Subsequently, gained insights are integrated into a proposed endoscopic surveillance strategy of the residual rectum.

Long-term Risk of Cancer Following Ileal Pouch-anal Anastomosis for Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND

The overall risk of cancer following ileal pouch-anal anastomosis [IPAA] is unknown, and pouch cancer surveillance is controversial. We evaluated long-term risk of cancer in a national cohort of patients with ulcerative colitis and IPAA, with emphasis on pouch cancer.

METHODS

Data on incident cancers were extracted from the national Danish Cancer Registry. Incidence rates for all site-specific cancers were compared between patients with IPAA and a gender- and age-matched comparison cohort from the background population to obtain incidence rate ratios [IRRs].

RESULTS

A total of 1723 patients with IPAA, operated for ulcerative colitis in the period 1980-2010, were matched to 8615 individuals from the background population. During a median follow-up of 12.9 years (interquartile range [IQR] 7.7-19.6 years), two pouch cancers [0.12%] were found after 16 and 27 years, respectively. In the population comparison cohort, 38 intestinal cancers [0.45%] were found, of which 35 were colorectal. The risk of hepatobiliary cancer was higher for patients with IPAA {IRR = 13.0 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.1-76.1)}, and half of the affected patients had coexisting primary sclerosing cholangitis. The risk of cancer overall following IPAA was identical to that of the comparison cohort: IRR = 1.05 [0.84-1.31].

CONCLUSIONS

Pouch cancer following IPAA is very rare, questioning the need for general, rather than selective, surveillance. The overall cancer risk is comparable to that of the background population, and the increased risk of hepatobiliary cancer is likely an effect of coexisting liver disease and not causally related to IPAA.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Transitional Zone after Ileal Pouch Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis: Systematic Review and Treatment Perspectives

BACKGROUND

Few cases of pouch-related cancers have been reported in ulcerative colitis (UC), and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is very rare.

METHOD

A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify all unequivocal cases of pouch-related SCC in UC patients.

RESULTS

Eight cases of SCC developing after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) have been observed since 1978. Two arose from the pouch mucosa and 6 from below. The pooled cumulative incidence of SCC is below 0.06% after IPAA. Many patients had neoplasia on the preoperative specimen, but squamous metaplasia of the pouch or anorectal mucosa may have an important role in SCC. These patients are rarely offered chemoradiation therapy and the outcome is poor. Selected patients with SCC located close to the pouch outlet can be treated with chemoradiation prior to consideration of surgery and salvage their pouch. A chemoradiation regimen is suggested to avoid pouch excision in these patients.

CONCLUSIONS

SCC is rare after pouch surgery but associated with extremely poor survival. Very low SCC can be managed with chemoradiation treatment, preserving the pouch and avoiding surgery, even in older patients. The role of pouch metaplasia, surveillance frequency, and treatment modalities after IPAA need further studying.