This population-based inception cohort has shown that the recent reduction in surgical rates was independently associated with increased and earlier AZA use.

Elderly patients represent an increasing proportion of the IBD population. Stenosing and colon-only disease were characteristic for elderly CD patients, while the disease course in UC was milder.

The incidence of IBD in Veszprem Province in the last decade was high, equal to that in high-incidence areas in Western European countries. Early disease course is milder compared to data reported in the literature.

The cumulative risk of CRC was high in our patients with UC; however, it was lower compared with that reported in Western European and North American studies. CRC developed approximately 15 years earlier compared with sporadic CRC patients in Hungary. Longer disease duration, extensive colitis, dysplasia, and primary sclerosing cholangitis were identified as important risk factors for developing CRC.

AIM: An investigation into inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer in Veszprem Province was conducted from 1977 to 2001. METHODS:Both hospital and outpatient records were collected and reviewed comprehensively. The majority of patients were followed up regularly.

Our data suggest that perianal disease, small bowel disease, smoking, prior steroid use, early AZA or AZA/biological therapy are all predictors of disease behavior change in CD patients.

Current smoking was associated with the risk of IBD. This effect was linked to gender and age at diagnosis and was most prominent in young adults. No association was observed in pediatric or elderly patients. The deleterious and protective effects of smoking on the course in CD and UC were partially confirmed.

Our data suggest that early AZA/biological therapy reduces the risk for first operation but not reoperation in CD, in both smokers and nonsmokers. In contrast, smoking was associated with a decreased need for colectomy in UC.