Malignancy, a real risk in patients using anti-TNF drugs for Crohn’s disease?

Introduction: Crohn’s disease (CD) is a subtype of inflammatory bowel disease. Mucosal healing has become the main target in therapy and the most consequential treatment has been biologic agents, such as anti-TNF agents. The benefits of anti-TNF agents are associated with an increase in the risk of opportunistic infections and the development of malignancies. Case Report: A 58-year-old woman with the diagnosis of a stricturing, non-penetrating Crohn’s disease, underwent a surgical intervention for treatment of both Crohn’s disease and an ovarian tumor. The diagnosis was of two primary tumors, an ovarian and an endometrial carcinoma. Conclusion: The association between the use anti-TNF agents and tumors has been narrowed to specific tumors. There is no association between the development of genitourinary tumors and treatment with anti-TNF agents. However, current data has demonstrated synchronicity between IBD and endometriosis. The pro-inflammatory profile seen in IBD might enhance the occurrence and transformation of endometriotic foci. Their link to ovarian tumors seen in IBD patients remains an open question.