[Health Tip] Ulcerative Colitis Mainly Occurring in 2030s... "Can Lead to Colorectal Cancer if Worsened"

Patient Numbers Increased Approximately Fivefold Over the Past 10 Years

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] 'Ulcerative colitis' is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown cause that affects the colon. Although it does not pose a significant threat to life, it is almost impossible to cure completely, and if it worsens, it can lead to colon cancer, so treatment is essential.

Over the past 10 years, the number of ulcerative colitis patients in Korea has increased about fivefold, from 9,657 in 2008 to 46,837 in 2018. By age group, it mainly occurred in people in their 20s and 30s, but recently, the number of elderly patients aged 60 and over has also increased. It is presumed that westernized eating habits and frequent use of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory painkillers have altered the intestinal bacteria, promoting the onset of the disease.

What are the symptoms and prognosis of ulcerative colitis?

The main symptoms of ulcerative colitis are diarrhea and bloody stools. In almost all patients, inflammation is observed in the rectum, and the extent and severity of inflammation vary from patient to patient. However, having diarrhea and bloody stools does not necessarily mean you need a colonoscopy for diagnosis. But ▲diarrhea lasting more than 4 weeks ▲presence of bloody and mucous stools ▲diarrhea with a family history of inflammatory bowel disease ▲bloody stools occurring after starting smoking cessation are cases where it is advisable to undergo a colonoscopy by a gastroenterology specialist. Recently, the 'fecal calprotectin test' has been introduced, allowing simple screening through stool analysis without endoscopy.

Ulcerative colitis is not a disease with a high mortality rate. However, 1 to 2 out of 10 patients may undergo colectomy during their lifetime. Especially if diagnosed before age 40, or if the inflammation is extensive and severe, there is a family history, or frequent relapses occur, the likelihood of surgery is higher.

The prognosis worsens if complications develop. About 3% of ulcerative colitis patients experience severe acute localized complications such as perforation or toxic megacolon. Approximately 20% may develop severe ulcerative colitis, in which case the mortality rate increases to 1%.

Increased risk of colon cancer... Treatment is essential

Since the risk of colon cancer increases with the duration of ulcerative colitis, treatment is necessary even if there are no symptoms. It has been found that having this disease for 30 years increases the incidence of colon cancer to 9.5%.

Treatment varies depending on the extent and severity of inflammation. If the affected area is small and inflammation is mild, the drug '5-ASA' is taken orally or administered rectally. However, if the area is extensive and severe, steroids and immunomodulators must be administered. If inflammation is still difficult to control, biological injections or other new drugs are used.

Professor Ko Sung-joon of the Department of Gastroenterology at Seoul National University Hospital said, "If you have ulcerative colitis, you should regularly visit the hospital for consultation and take medication thoroughly. Especially, arbitrarily stopping medication can lead to severe complications, so caution is needed."

Professor Ko added, "Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory painkillers can alter the distribution of intestinal bacteria or increase the permeability allowing bacteria to penetrate the intestinal wall, so long-term use should be avoided," and explained, "foods high in salt and sugar and meats such as beef and pork are known to worsen inflammation, so it is better to reduce them, and for protein intake, fish is recommended."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.