People with chronic liver diseases have a higher risk of colorectal cancer than the general population, even after having a liver transplant, according to a meta-analysis of 50 studies involving nearly 56,000 individuals.

Investigators looked at trials that evaluated colorectal cancer risk in patients with chronic liver diseases. They included studies that reported the risk as standardized incidence rate (SIR). The pooled SIR was:

• 2.06 in studies that included patients with hepatitis and cirrhosis.
• 6.70 in 3 studies that included primary sclerosing cholangitis patients.
• 2.16 in studies that included post-transplant patients.

There was a correlation between the proportion of autoimmune related liver diseases and colorectal cancer risk. The authors suggested more intensive surveillance for colorectal cancer in this population.