Crohn’s Disease and Cancer: How to Reduce Your Risk

How to Reduce Your Cancer Risk if You Have Crohn’s Disease

Crohn's-related inflammation can increase your risk of colorectal cancer, but you can protect your health and lower your risk with several healthy habits.

How to Reduce Your Cancer Risk if You Have Crohn’s Disease
Everyday Health
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Published on July 28, 2025
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When you have Crohn’s disease, inflammation damages cells that make up the lining of your colon (large intestine). New cells take their place, constantly trying to keep up, but this turnover offers more chances for cells with cancer-causing mutations to grow.

“[Because of this,] individuals with Crohn’s disease are at increased risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with the general population,” says Amneet K. Hans, MD, a gastroenterologist and the associate director of the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) program at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York.

Crohn’s Disease and Colorectal Cancer Risk

Your risk depends on how long you’ve had Crohn’s and other factors, but overall, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) like Crohn’s can double or triple your risk of colorectal cancer (CRC).

 “The risk is further enhanced for patients that have extensive colonic [large intestine] involvement,” says Michael Cecchini, MD, a medical oncologist and the codirector of the colorectal program for the Center for Gastrointestinal Cancers at Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut.
One meta-analysis of almost 400,000 participants with CRC found that 1.3 percent had some kind of IBD, and of those, about one-third had Crohn’s.

 Another study of about 54,000 people showed an increased likelihood of CRC among people with Crohn’s disease, but the difference in risk was much smaller (less than 1 percent) than for those without Crohn’s.

What Are the Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer if You Have Crohn’s Disease?

When you have an IBD like Crohn’s disease, you may have more colorectal cancer risk factors than someone without an IBD. “The risk factors for CRC in the general population are age, family history, and lifestyle factors such as diet, obesity, and smoking,” says Dr. Cecchini.

“[But] for individuals with Crohn’s disease, the main risk factor is chronic inflammation,” says Dr. Hans.

Besides those risk factors, others for people with Crohn’s include:

  • Having Crohn’s for at least 8 to 10 years
  • Crohn’s diagnosis at a young age
  • Severe or widespread inflammation in the colon
  • Left-sided colon inflammation
  • Primary sclerosing cholangitis (a rare liver condition leading to bile duct inflammation and scarring)
  • Dysplasia (cell changes in the colon or rectum that can lead to cancer)
  • A weakened immune system
  • A genetic condition like Lynch syndrome

5 Ways to Reduce Your Colorectal Cancer Risk if You Have Crohn’s Disease

If you have Crohn’s disease, you can lower your risk of colorectal cancer by seeing your healthcare provider regularly and following healthy lifestyle habits.

1. Get Regular Checkups

The earlier you find cancer, the easier it is to treat, so seeing your gastroenterologist at least once a year is a good idea.

 Cecchini also recommends regular colonoscopies to check for new growths or intestinal changes.

“With Crohn’s colitis [a form of Crohn’s that only affects the colon], it is typical to have a surveillance colonoscopy every one to two years, depending on individual risk factors,” says Hans. This is also the case if you’ve had Crohn’s for at least eight years.

 Sometimes, providers prefer high definition colonoscopies, which use dye spray and can find cell changes more easily.

2. Stop Smoking

Smoking can worsen inflammation, depress the immune system, damage DNA, and disrupt the gut microbiome, so it’s important to stop as soon as possible.

 “[It also] increases one’s risk of developing colon polyps, which can become cancerous,” says Hans.

If you want help quitting, you can find free resources from the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society.

3. Take Your Medications

If you have Crohn’s disease, your provider will prescribe medications that lower inflammation and help decrease the risk of dysplasia.

“There are many FDA-approved biologic and small molecule therapies for Crohn’s disease that are effective in controlling inflammation, which can lead to remission, further reducing the risk of cancer,” says Hans. It’s important to take your medications, even if you’re feeling well, she says.

4. Eat a Nutritious Diet

Your diet plays a big role in how well you can keep Crohn’s inflammation at bay. “Fat and red meat can be hard to digest for individuals with Crohn’s disease, and can increase the risk of inflammation and colon cancer,” says Hans.

Instead, choose a diet high in fiber, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which all deliver a hefty dose of important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and may play a part in preventing cancer.

 But you may find that certain high-fiber foods can irritate your gut, so you may need to try different fiber sources to find options that you can tolerate.

5. Move More

To help protect against colorectal cancer with Crohn’s, aim for 30 minutes of physical activity a day, most days of the week.

 “Exercising regularly can reduce inflammation, help individuals maintain a healthy weight, and regulate hormones,” says Hans.
Regular exercise can also lower body weight, which will not only lessen your risk of CRC, but also improve your chances of survival if you develop it.

The Takeaway

  • Crohn’s disease can increase your risk of developing colorectal cancer, but you can help protect yourself with lifestyle changes and regular checkups with a healthcare provider.
  • Colorectal cancer risk factors with Crohn’s disease include bowel inflammation, having Crohn’s for over eight years, and severe or extensive involvement of the colon, among others.
  • To lower your cancer risk with Crohn’s, see your provider regularly, stop smoking, take your medications as prescribed, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, and eat a nutritious diet.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. The Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Patients. Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.
  2. Underferth D. Does Crohn’s Disease Affect Your Cancer Risk? MD Anderson Cancer Center. April 8, 2021.
  3. Sato Y et al. Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer: Epidemiology, Etiology, Surveillance, and Management. Cancers. August 2023.
  4. Birch R et al. Inflammatory Bowel Disease-Associated Colorectal Cancer Epidemiology and Outcomes: An English Population-Based Study. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. November 2022.
  5. Kim H et al. Incident Crohn’s Disease as a Risk Factor for Colorectal Cancer in the First 10 Years after Diagnosis: A Nationwide Population-Based Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine. October 2021.
  6. Here’s Why Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease Increase Your Risk of Colon Cancer. Cleveland Clinic. March 6, 2024.
  7. Colorectal Cancer Risk in IBD. Crohn's & Colitis Foundation.
  8. Bai X et al. Cigarette Smoke Promotes Colorectal Cancer Through Modulation of Gut Microbiota and Related Metabolites. Gut. May 11, 2023.
  9. Health Effects of Cigarettes: Cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September 17, 2024.
  10. Cleveland NK et al. Cancer Prevention in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Practical Gastroenterology. August 2021.
  11. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Johns Hopkins University.
  12. Singh A. Reducing Your Risk for Colorectal Cancer. Mayo Clinic. March 13, 2023.
  13. What Should I Eat With IBD? Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
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