Association between intestinal neoplasms and celiac disease: A review

Abstract

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic immune-mediated intestinal disease with genetic susceptibility. It is characterized by inflammatory damage to the small intestine after ingestion of cereals and products containing gluten protein. In recent years, the global prevalence rate of CD has been approximately 1%, and is gradually increasing. CD patients adhere to a gluten-free diet (GFD) throughout their entire life. However, it is difficult to adhere strictly to a GFD. Untreated CD may be accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and extraintestinal symptoms caused by secondary malnutrition. Many studies have suggested that CD is associated with intestinal tumors such as enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL), small bowel cancer (SBC), and colorectal cancer. In this study, we reviewed related studies published in the literature to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of intestinal tumors in patients with CD. Compared with the general population, CD patients had a high total risk of SBC and EATL, but not colorectal cancer. The protective effect of GFD on CD-related malignancies is controversial. Further studies are needed to confirm whether GFD treatment can reduce the risk of intestinal neoplasms in CD.

Re: Association between intestinal neoplasms and celiac disease - beyond celiac disease and more

“…In addition to CD, we believe that other underlying mechanisms contribute to the developing malignant neoplasms[ 3 ]. We believe that these facts would be a helpful to understand CD and EATL and these findings are highly pertinent and provide a context that helps understand those reported by Wang et al [ 1 ].…”

“…I read with great interest the paper by Wang et al [ 1 ] in the issue 13 of World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology, a review article regarding the association between intestinal neoplasms and celiac disease. The authors showed that the total risk of small bowel cancer (SBC) and enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma (EATL) increased in celiac disease (CD) patients.…”

Update on the Pathogenesis of Enteropathy-Associated T-Cell Lymphoma

“…This is particularly critical in populations with a high incidence of CD and the associated high mortality rate as a result of malignant transformation to EATL. Additionally, there is a need to further evaluate the strength of the protective effects of gluten-free diets on EATL via prospective cohorts and experimental studies [ 43 ].…”

Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Patients With Celiac Disease: A Population-Based Study

“…However, according to a study by Volta et al, an increase in CRC was only seen in individuals above the age of 60 [6]. Other studies showed no increase in the prevalence of colonic neoplasia in patients with CD [7][8][9][10][11].…”