Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients’ Risk of Developing Prostate Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer (PC) in numerous studies. However, the exact relationship between them remains conflicting. In this meta-analysis, we focus on determining the relationship between PC incidence and IBD. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted up until January 2022, selecting 14 studies, comprising 127,323 subjects with IBD, at the beginning of the study, among which 61,985 were patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 37,802 were with Crohn’s disease (CD). The studies reported the differences between subjects with IBD and controls with regard to the incidence of PC. In order to investigate the relationship between IBD and the prevalence of PC, we estimated the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: IBD significantly increased the incidence of PC (OR, 3.46; 95% CI, 1.40–8.54, P = 0.007) compared to controls. UC significantly increased the incidence of PC (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.03–1.98, P = 0.03) compared to controls. Yet, no significant difference was observed between CD and controls in relation to PC incidence (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.75–1.06, P = 0.18). Conclusion: IBD, particularly UC, may increase the risk of developing PC. This relationship prompts us to advocate for increased PC and IBD screening to reduce the risk for possible complications that could occur in these subjects.